The wide array of blood disorders, and the equally wide array of people affected, means that we develop an individualized treatment plan for each patient. Among other things, we consider the severity of your disease and how it has progressed, your age, your overall health, and your family history. We combine these factors with the latest scientific knowledge and the experience we’ve accumulated by treating many others who’ve faced the same illness.
Depending on the disorder, treatment options can include growth factors to stimulate blood cell production, steroids or other drugs to suppress the immune system, and chemotherapy to destroy abnormal cells. Bleeding disorders like hemophilia may call for blood-component therapies, such as platelet transfusions or clotting factors; diseases that involve clotting might be treated with drugs that inhibit clot formation.
Some conditions require a bone marrow transplant.
Understanding & Monitoring Your Blood Counts
A reduced number of blood cells in circulation is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Blood is composed of three basic blood cell types: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and regularly released into circulation. Chemotherapy destroys rapidly dividing cells, a characteristic of cancer cells. However, bone marrow cells also divide rapidly and are frequently damaged by chemotherapy. Blood counts are monitored with a laboratory test called a Complete Blood Count (CBC). The best way to treat low blood counts is to prevent them before they occur. This can be accomplished with the administration of blood cell growth factors. In some circumstances, blood transfusions may also be necessary.