Blood cancer at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center

Advanced blood cancer treatment in Denver

At HealthONE, we offer access to oncology specialists who are trained to accurately diagnose and treat many types of blood cancers, such as lymphoma and leukemia. We offer advanced treatments, including blood and marrow transplants, to provide patients with a variety of options for healing.

For more information about cancer diagnosis, treatment and other services, call askSARAH at (303) 253-3225.

Our blood cancer care program

The blood cancer care teams within HealthONE are committed to providing advanced treatment to patients facing blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Our multidisciplinary team is dedicated to bringing you innovative techniques and technologies to ensure you get the cancer care you need and deserve.

Blood cancer care at our facilities includes:

• Advanced laboratory technology for measuring blood counts
• Blood and marrow or stem cell transplants
• Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy performed under light sedation for patient comfort
• Clinical trial access
• Financial assistance
• Healing arts program
• Infusion services with chemotherapy-certified nurses
• Multidisciplinary team approach to care
• Nurse navigation upon request
• Nutritional support
• Psychosocial oncology
• Treatment for various types of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma through a tailored treatment plan
• Radiation therapy services
• Services for the donor during transplants

Advanced blood cancer physician partners

To ensure our patients receive the best possible cancer care, Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at HealthONE offers two of the largest, most comprehensive blood cancer programs in Colorado.

Through Colorado Blood Cancer Institute (CBCI) at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and our program at Swedish Medical Center, HealthONE offers access to some of the most experienced physician programs in Colorado and the U.S. Additionally, CBCI is the largest full-service blood and marrow and stem cell transplant program in Colorado.

We are committed to providing advanced treatment to patients facing blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Our teams participate in a weekly joint tumor board to collectively provide an individualized care plan for each patient. Additionally, our team consistently works to provide access to innovative treatments, including clinical trials, to help patients heal.

Dedicated blood cancer team

To ensure patients receive an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan, our blood cancer team takes a multidisciplinary approach to care.

Our care team includes:

• Advanced practice practitioners
• Dietitians
• Financial coordinators
• Hematologists
• Oncology nurse navigators
• Social workers
• Transplant nurses
• Transplant nurse coordinators
• Transplant psychologists

Blood cancer symptoms

Common blood cancer symptoms may include:

• Easy bruising
• Excessive bleeding
• Fatigue
• Fever

If you are experiencing these symptoms, speak to your doctor. Laboratory testing, bone marrow biopsies and imaging exams are common tests to confirm a blood cancer diagnosis.

Blood cancers we treat

Our doctors are experienced in treating a wide range of blood cancers, including:

• Aplastic anemia
• Autoimmune diseases
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
• Leukemia, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
• Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
• Myeloma, including multiple myeloma

Leukemia

Leukemia is a type of cancer found in blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow, and is caused by a rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. A high volume of abnormal white blood cells means your body cannot fight infection. The high volume of white blood cells disrupts the bone marrow’s ability to produce platelets and red blood cells.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer of your lymphatic system, primarily affecting the lymph nodes and surrounding tissues. The lymphatic system, part of your “germ-fighting network,” is responsible for removing excess fluids from your body and producing immune cells.

Lymphocytes, one of the body’s main types of immune cells, fight infection. When abnormal lymphocytes become lymphoma cells, they multiply in your lymph nodes and, over time, can damage your immune system.

There are many forms of lymphoma, but the main types are Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Myeloma

Myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow. Plasma cells regularly replace old cells. People who have myeloma have a rapid production of plasma and myeloma cells that develop throughout the bone marrow and several other parts of the body.

Filling up the bone marrow, myeloma cells interfere with the normal production of white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells. They can also cause bone thinning, pain and reduced levels of immunoglobulins (proteins necessary for your immune system to function).

Blood cancer treatment

The type of blood cancer treatment you receive depends on the type of cancer you have, your overall health and other factors.

Common treatments for blood cancers include:

• Blood transfusion
• Chemotherapy
• Clinical trials
• Immunotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Stem cell transplantation

Blood and marrow transplants

If you are referred to one of our centers for a blood and marrow or stem cell transplant, a provider and nurse coordinator will meet with you to answer all of your questions. Your nurse coordinator will help you prepare for each step in the transplant process. If an allogeneic transplant is required, additional testing will be performed to assist in locating a donor.