Why am I coming to a Cancer Center when I have a blood disorder? Not all blood disorders are cancer. Why are Hematology and Oncology together?
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Answer:
Yes you are correct in stating that not all blood disorders are cancer. Most anemias, such as iron deficiency anemia, anemias caused by infectious agents, anemias caused by red cell defects and hemoglobinopathies, etc. are certainly not cancerous, but are treated by hematologists. Hematologists study all forms of blood disorders, cancerous and non-cancerous.
During a doctor’s training for oncology or cancer, many physicians also choose to have an extra year and a half of training in blood disorders. The two training programs go hand-in-hand and many do choose to do training in both. Many times if you are getting referred to a cancer doctor, it does not mean that you truly have a cancer problem. It is just that the two specialties are so intertwined that trainings are done together.
So when you are getting referred it may be appropriate to ask your referring doctor what his concerns are and in a lot of cases they may just be blood disorders and not related at all to cancer.
Often patients are referred to us for evaluation of benign hematology or blood disorders and in those patients what we’re specifically focusing in on is the production, or lack of production, of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets. In these circumstances we are assessing bone marrow function. We are assessing potential autoimmune diseases and sometimes bone marrow failure syndromes. This practice is married historically with oncology and on occasion there is overlap. We also take care of patients with benign hematology disease and often improve a patient’s quality of life.
Because disorders and diseases seen in hematology/oncology often overlap it is more effective to have hematologists working closely with oncologists. Another benefit to doctors and patients is that the hematology/oncology clinic is equipped with special microscopes and often has its own lab, which enables the doctors and medical technologists to make rapid diagnosis, or monitor patients quickly and efficiently. Hemotoglists and oncologists are well trained specialists that have the skills to identify cells under the microscope that general practice doctors often don’t possess.
• BROOKSVILLE
7154 Medical Center Drive
Spring Hill, FL 34608 (352) 596-1926
• HUDSON
7651 Medical Drive
Hudson, FL 34667 (727) 868-9208
• INVERNESS
2231 Highway 44 West • Unit 203
Inverness, FL 34453 (352) 860-7400
• NEW PORT RICHEY
8763 River Crossing Blvd
New Port Richey, FL 34655 (727) 842-8411
• SPRING HILL
10441 Quality Drive, Suite 203
Spring Hill, FL 34609 (352) 688-7744
• SPRING HILL-PET/CT ONLY
4003 Mariner Blvd
Spring Hill, FL 34609 (352) 684-6461
• THE VILLAGES
Dana Center 11950 County Road 101, Suite 205 & 206
The Villages, FL 32162 (352) 750-2213
• ZEPHYRHILLS
38010 Medical Center Avenue
Zephyrhills, FL 33540 (813) 783-1676
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