Valley is aware of the nationwide supply disruption of IV fluid solution due to Hurricane Helene, and wants to reassure the community that steps have been taken to ensure the situation will have no negative impact on our patients and the community.
Leukemias are cancers of the blood cells. These blood cancers typically begin in your bone marrow, where your blood cells develop.
At Valley’s Center for Blood Disorders, our hematologic oncology team specializes in treating all types of leukemias and related disorders such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Through our oncology partnership with the Mount Sinai Health System, you’ll also have access to clinical trials and innovative treatments for leukemia. And you’ll have it all right here in your own community.
Signs of leukemia include:
A hematologist/oncologist (a doctor who specializes in blood cancers) can help you understand the cause of your symptoms.
Sometimes, leukemia doesn’t cause symptoms. Instead, the first sign may be an irregular result from a routine blood test. In this case, your primary care doctor may refer you to a hematologist/oncologist for further testing.
There are several types of leukemias, and they are all handled differently. In fact, not all are life-threatening. Leukemia can also be acute, which means it develops quickly. Or, leukemia can be chronic, which means it develops slowly.
At Valley, we specialize in treating all types of leukemia. When you come to Valley, we’ll start by determining the type of leukemia you have — and we’ll put together your care plan from there.
Some of the more common leukemias and related conditions we diagnose and treat include:
When you come to Valley’s Center for Blood Disorders, we will explore every angle to determine what’s causing your symptoms or irregular test results. We’ll get you answers so you can put your mind at ease and begin treatment quickly if needed.
After taking a thorough history, your hematologist/oncologist may recommend one or more of the following tests to determine the cause of your symptoms:
Your team at Valley includes hematologists, pathologists and other specialists who work together to accurately diagnose your leukemia, where appropriate. We’ll also discuss your case with blood cancer specialists at Mount Sinai Health System.
Kessoon is a Valley patient who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and received her care from Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care. She was diagnosed in 2019 and had an outstanding experience with the entire team of doctors and staff who treated her.
Your treatment plan may include one or more options based on your type of leukemia, overall health and specific needs. These include:
We may recommend chemotherapy to kill cancer cells in your blood. You may receive chemotherapy in the hospital or through our Ambulatory Infusion Center at the Luckow Pavilion.
New immunotherapy drugs use your body’s defense system to fight cancer. You may receive immunotherapy along with chemotherapy for your leukemia.
At Valley, our hematologists/oncologists have expertise in optimizing immunotherapy for the best outcomes. We also understand how to reduce potential side effects from treatment.
Novel therapies that directly block molecular channels that cancer cells rely on have been developed. In many cases, these carry less side effects than chemotherapy.
Bispecific antibodies are medicines that “target” certain types of leukemia. Unlike some treatments, bispecific antibodies do not require much preparation time, so you can get treated more quickly.
CAR T-cell therapy (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy) for many types of blood cancers, including some leukemias are available. This treatment modifies part of your immune system to destroy cancer cells. We partner with Mt. Sinai Hospital to administer this.
If necessary, our team can also help facilitate a stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant) at the Mount Sinai Health System. These transplants can treat some leukemias.
Some leukemia treatments can affect your ability to have children, whatever your gender. We can coordinate fertility preservation treatments with your leukemia treatments if you want to maintain your fertility options.