Blood Cancer Care

Learning that you may have leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma or another blood cancer can be frightening. But you’ll have a team in your corner at Valley. At Valley’s Center for Blood Disorders, our hematology team will tailor your care plan to fit your needs, goals and preferences.

At Valley, we have expertise in many different types of blood cancers. A correct diagnosis is essential for developing the best treatment plan for you. We begin with a thorough evaluation. This includes a physical exam and a review of your blood tests, and it may include advanced testing, such as:

• Flow cytometry (identifies different blood cell populations) 
• Genetic testing
• Next-generation sequencing (identifies specific genetic mutations)

With all this information, we’ll put together a care plan specific to your diagnosis and individual needs. Your care team will guide you through every step — explaining what you can expect and supporting you and those closest to you along the way. This is personalized cancer care in action.

A Team Approach to Blood Cancer Care

Blood cancer treatment can affect all aspects of your health. At Valley, your hematologist coordinates your care with your primary care provider and other specialists. Your team will include nurses, advanced practice providers and patient navigators.

We can also connect you to social workers and financial counselors. They can help you navigate social, emotional and financial challenges of cancer treatment.

Affiliation with the Mount Sinai Health System

The Valley–Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care program brings together Valley hematologists and Mount Sinai leaders in cancer care and research. Together, this team offers the most advanced blood cancer care, right here in Northern New Jersey.

This affiliation also gives you access to stem cell transplant and CAR-T cell therapy if needed.

Our Approach to Treating Blood Cancers

Valley offers the most effective blood cancer treatments. Our goal is to do everything we can to cure your blood cancer or put it into remission.

In some cases, you may not need immediate treatment — and we’ll recommend active surveillance with a focus on monitoring your progress and providing care to improve or sustain your quality of life.

Treatments for Blood Cancer

At Valley–Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care, our care team will discuss the state of the art treatment options available to you and help you select the course of treatment best suited to meet your goals:

Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is one of our newest and most effective tools to treat certain blood cancers. This treatment uses your own immune system to destroy cancer cells. We have extensive experience participating in clinical trials that use immunotherapy to treat blood cancers.

CAR T-cell therapy: Through our affiliation with the Mount Sinai Health System, you may have access to CAR-T cell therapy for blood cancers. With CAR-T therapy, your own blood cells are modified to attack and destroy cancer cells. 

Bispecific antibodies: Bispecific antibodies are the latest type of monoclonal antibody medicines to fight certain types of leukemia , lymphoma  and multiple myeloma .

Stem cell transplants: If you’re eligible, our team can coordinate a stem cell transplant with the Mount Sinai Health System. These transplants (also known as bone marrow transplant) can treat some leukemias, lymphomas and multiple myeloma.

Targeted therapy: Valley offers targeted therapies that attack specific parts of cancer cells while avoiding healthy cells. These drugs are most often used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Chemotherapy: Another treatment option for some blood cancers is chemotherapy, which are drugs that destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used in combinations with other therapies in your treatment plan.

Additional Services

Valley also offers comprehensive testing and supportive care to help manage your care plan and treatment. This may include:

Genetic counseling and testing: Some blood cancers are inherited through specific genetic mutations. At Valley, we offer genetic counseling and testing so you and your family can make informed decisions about your care. 

Fertility preservation: Some treatments for blood cancer can affect your ability to have children. We can coordinate fertility preservation treatments with your cancer treatments.

Supportive care: Our team understands the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges of blood cancer treatment. Our cancer support resources help you and your family navigate treatment and recovery. Your well-being is our priority. Our services range from financial support and nutritional counseling to support groups and social work services.

Conditions Treated

• All forms of leukemia , including acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
• All forms of lymphoma , including Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma
• Multiple myeloma , AL amyloidosis and other plasma cell disorders
• Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, also known as preleukemia)
• Myeloproliferative neoplasms, such as polycythemia vera, essential thrombocytopenia, and primary myelofibrosis

Why Choose Valley for Blood Cancer Care? 

• A commitment to excellence: Valley has been recognized for providing the highest quality cancer care with the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) certification. 
• Innovative clinical trials: Our Center for Blood Disorders participates in clinical trials and other hematology research. These studies look for new, effective ways to treat blood cancers. Our goal is to offer you the widest range of treatments available and to improve blood cancer care.
• A holistic approach addressing all aspects of life: A blood cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Our cancer support services provide medical, emotional, spiritual, and financial support to help make life with blood cancer more manageable.
• Easy communication with your team: We understand you may have questions about your care and managing side effects during your treatment. Your team will respond promptly, addressing your side effects — and making sure you understand the next steps. 
• Nurses who specialize in cancer treatments: Many nurses on our inpatient unit at The  Valley Hospital and in our Infusion Center have certification from the Oncology Nursing Society. This level of expertise allows them to anticipate your needs and address any side effects throughout your treatment.
• Mount Sinai affiliation: Valley’s alliance with the Mount Sinai Health System means you have access to the most advanced cancer services, close to home. And because experts from Mount Sinai may also review your case, it’s like getting a built-in second opinion.
• Minimal Residual Disease Testing: We also offer advanced tests of genetic markers to detect minimal residual disease (MRD). MRD tests can help predict your risk for recurrence (having the cancer return).