Oncology/Hematology

Overview

Oncology is a branch of medicine that is centered around the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer. Cancer is a generic term for a disease that results from a rapid growth of abnormal cells. The most common areas of the body that are affected by cancer are breasts, lungs, colon/rectum, prostate, skin, and stomach.

There are many types of cancer treatment, such as: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell/bone marrow transplant, and even hormone therapy. The proper selection of treatment depends on the type of cancer as well as the individual being treated.

Hematologic disorders are conditions that affect the blood. Many of these conditions are related to low numbers of a specific blood cell type. These are called anemia (not enough red blood cells that carry oxygen), neutropenia (not enough white blood cells to fight infection), and thrombocytopenia (not enough platelets for blood to clot properly). These conditions can be caused by a variety of factors, including side effects of chemotherapy as well as other chronic diseases. Another hematologic condition is sickle cell anemia, a rare genetic disease where red blood cells are misshapen, that can be very painful. There are a variety of approved medications for these conditions, and appropriate treatment can relieve symptoms, lower the risk of serious complications, and improve quality of life.

Resources

American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/

Cancer | NIH
https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-turning-discovery-into-health/cancer-2020

What is Anemia? |NHLBI, NIH
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/anemia

Neutropenia and Risk of Infection
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/preventinfections/pdf/neutropenia.pdf

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc. | Links and Resources
https://www.sicklecelldisease.org/links-resources/