Leukemia
Leukemia is a group of bone marrow diseases involving an uncontrolled increase in white blood cells (leukocytes).
For information about a specific type of leukemia, see the following:
Learn about the section of Hematology and Oncology at Wake Forest Baptist.
The Wake Forest Baptist Approach
Our Leukemia Program, which began in 1986, is widely recognized for excellence in patient care, teaching and clinical research.
As one of the largest adult leukemia services in the Southeast, we are active in national research studies. Collaboration between research faculty conducting basic laboratory science and our own clinical researchers ensures that patients are offered cutting-edge therapies.
Active clinical trials include national studies in acute leukemias, chronic leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes through the cooperative group, Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), as well as through industry-supported trials.
Lymphomas, including Hodgkin’s disease and the array of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, represent a growing area of clinical research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Treatment options include protocols to local and national research trials investigating novel therapies. One particular area of emphasis is dose-intensive therapy followed by either bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation.
Blood and Marrow Transplantation
The Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program has achieved national renown since its opening in 1990. It is one of the largest collection centers in the United States for the National Marrow Donor Program, so both donors and recipients are assured of a caring and competent experience.
The complex transplantation procedure uses stem cells that were isolated from bone marrow or blood from either the patient or a compatible donor (related or unrelated). In addition to using transplantation for treating acute and chronic leukemias, we find transplantation to be an important means of treating non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, and other forms of cancer.
Members of the Transplant Program have been active participants in clinical trials sponsored by:
- Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)—a national, cooperative group for clinical trials research that is supported by the National Cancer Institute