Blood Cancers

Our dedicated multidisciplinary team offers personalised treatment plans using the latest advances in haematology and oncology, ensuring every patient receives the highest possible standard of care.

The most common blood cancers are:

• Leukaemia
• Lymphoma
• Myeloma

However, there are other blood cancers called:

• Myelodysplasia
• Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN)
• Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML)

What to expect from your appointments with us

Your first appointments will be face-to-face and usually last around 30 minutes.
You will see a haematology doctor who will:

• Talk with you about your medical history
• Review any tests you’ve already had
• Decide if you need more tests to make a clear diagnosis

You will usually need blood tests, which are done in the phlebotomy department.
Your doctor may also ask for scans or other tests. You will be contacted with appointment times for these.

What to expect from your diagnostic tests and investigations

The main diagnostic tests that your doctor may recommend are:

Blood testing: A healthcare professional will take a small amount of blood, usually from the inside of your elbow, using a needle.

Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: during this test, a doctor or nurse takes a sample of bone marrow from your pelvis. The procedure may take around 30 minutes.

CT scan: Computerised tomography (CT) scans take pictures of your body to find out where the cancer is and whether it has spread.

PET scan: Positron emission tomography (PET) scans are used to produce detailed three-dimensional (3D) images of the inside of the body. The images can clearly show the part of the body being investigated, including any abnormal areas, and can highlight how well certain functions of the body are working.

MRI scan: MRI uses magnets and radio waves to create a cross sectional picture of the body. You will have an MRI scan to see if your cancer has spread.

Treatment options and what to expect

Depending on your cancer type the treatment offered may include:

Watch and wait - If your blood cancer is slowly developing growing it may not need treatment straight away. Your doctor may recommend that you are closely monitored, with treatment only starting when it is needed.

Radiotherapy- Radiotherapy involves using radiation to destroy cancerous cells

Transfusion and other blood products - Blood transfusions do not treat blood cancer itself, but they do give you healthy blood cells if your body isn’t producing its own. This can help relieve symptoms and side effects.

SACT treatments

You may hear the following treatment being described as SACT, which means systemic anti-cancer therapies. These include chemotherapy and immunotherapy and are treatments that work throughout the entire body.

Chemotherapy: This is a cancer treatment which uses medicine to destroy cancer cells. You may be given this as an oral tablet or intravenously (directly into your veins).

Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy uses your immune system to fight cancer and works by helping your immune system to recognise and attack the cancer cells.

Targeted therapies - These are treatments that seek and attack specific parts of cancer cells. They work by helping to slow the growth and spread of these cells.