Blood cancer care

Blood cancer, also called hematological cancer, occurs when abnormal cells in the blood grow out of control. The abnormal cells can crowd out normal blood cells, which have essential functions: Red blood cells help carry oxygen throughout the body, white blood cells help fight infections, and platelets help blood clot.

There are three main blood cancer types:

• Leukemia originates in the blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones, and is characterized by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out normal blood cells, impairing the ability to fight infections, transport oxygen, and control bleeding.
• Lymphoma affects the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands that help to fight infections. Lymphoma primarily involves lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps protect the body from infections.
• Multiple myeloma targets plasma cells, another type of white blood cell found in bone marrow. Plasma cells make antibodies that help the immune system fight infections.

Hematology and oncology experts in Penn Medicine’s Blood Cancer Program have a long history of advancing the science of blood cancers. Our team works diligently to uncover its causes, more accurate methods for diagnosis, and the most effective treatments with the fewest side effects to give patients like you the best possible outcome.

If you’ve been diagnosed with blood cancer, you need care from hematologic oncology specialists who are experts in blood cancers. When you partner with Penn Medicine, you’ll find:

• A history of leadership in blood cancer: Penn is a pioneer and international leader in hematological malignancies. We helped develop many of the current treatments and teach others around the world about effective diagnosis and treatment. 
• Expertise in each type of blood cancer: Our blood cancer specialists concentrate on specific types of blood cancer, using their in-depth knowledge and expertise to ensure an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan. 
• Guidance through the process: You’ll be paired up with a cancer nurse navigator specialized in blood cancer. They’ll make sure you quickly get any appointments you need for tests and consultations. After your appointments, our team takes time to make sure you understand your diagnosis and treatment options. 
• Modern treatments: We offer every type of effective treatment for each kind of blood cancer, including the newest classes of treatment—immunotherapy and CAR T cell therapy. 
• Help for even the most complex cases: We offer the most advanced treatment options, so we can help the most complex cancers. Even if treatment elsewhere has not been successful, we’ll do our best to find options for you.

Patients diagnosed and treated at Penn Medicine may qualify for participation in research studies, granting them access to the most advanced treatment options before they become widely available.

Thanks to our blood cancer clinical trials and research advancements, our team has made significant contributions to the field of hematology:

• Developed the concept of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T cell) therapy, a major advancement that’s becoming the gold standard for many types of blood cancers
• Pioneered positron emission tomography (PET) for the diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma
• Discovered the Philadelphia chromosome in patients with leukemia, establishing the first evidence of a genetic link to cancer
• Helped establish autologous bone marrow transplantation, or bone marrow that is both retrieved from and then returned to the same patient, as the standard of care in certain types of blood cancer
• Worked to find ways to use alternate donors (mismatched siblings and unrelated volunteers) for transplantations
• Found success in new preparatory regimens to decrease toxicity and improve outcomes of allogeneic stem cell transplants, which involves transplanting healthy stem cells from a donor to the patient to help them produce enough healthy blood cells.

National recognition and partnerships

The Penn Medicine Blood Cancer Program is one of only a few in the country approved and funded by the National Cancer Institute. In addition, the National Institutes of Health named Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center one of the original 14 Core Clinical Transplant Centers in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Network. This national network works to develop and conduct clinical trials to improve patient care.

Penn Medicine has also been:

• Designated as a research center for the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry/Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry (known as the CIBMTR)
• Designated as a transplant center for the National Marrow Donor Program
• Accredited for bone marrow and stem cell transplantation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy

We regularly partner with national cooperative groups, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and other leading cancer centers and foundations to continue driving research and innovation forward.