Blood Cancer Treatment

Specialists at Houston Methodist are worldwide leaders in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other cancers of the blood. We provide expert cancer care at each of our eight locations across the Greater Houston, Texas area. 

Our oncologists work as a team to deliver the most advanced treatments for blood cancers, including immunotherapy, targeted therapies and stem cell transplant. We also offer access to innovative clinical trials that offer promising new blood cancer treatments not yet available to the public. 

Houston Methodist Hospital is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for cancer. In addition, we are considered high performing by U.S. News & World Report for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

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If you receive a blood cancer diagnosis, your oncology care team tailors your specific treatment plan to the unique characteristics of your type of blood cancer. We also consider your individual needs and lifestyle. Our goal is to provide effective treatments while preserving healthy tissue and cells. Your care team may use one or more of the following methods to treat and manage your cancer.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the primary mode of treatment for leukemia. It is also often used to treat lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by killing them or halting cell division and growth.  

Chemotherapy is typically administered orally (by mouth) or intravenously (with an IV). In systemic chemotherapy, drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body, which is especially important for blood cancer. 

Side effects of chemotherapy may vary, depending on the type and dose administered. 

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment using high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. Radiation works by targeting abnormal cells, damaging their DNA so they are unable to reproduce. 

In combination with chemotherapy, radiation therapy is often used to treat blood-related cancers. Your doctor may also use radiation to ease some symptoms. 

Side effects of radiation therapy may vary, depending on the type and dose administered. 

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses medications to stimulate the immune system. The drugs help the body produce more immune cells or help existing immune cells recognize and destroy cancerous cells. Numerous types of immunotherapies can be used to treat cancer, either alone or in combination with other treatments. 

Some immunotherapy treatments are administered intravenously (with an IV). Others are injected directly into the tumor. 

Side effects of immunotherapy vary depending on the type of medication delivered, the type of blood cancer being treated and your overall health. 

Bone Marrow Transplant

A bone marrow transplant — also known as a stem cell transplant — may be used to treat leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. The transplant replaces damaged bone marrow with healthy stem cells, allowing for higher doses of chemotherapy, when a more aggressive approach is needed.  

We perform bone marrow transplants in our Texas Medical Center location. With this approach, your doctor will administer high-dose chemotherapy (sometimes along with radiation therapy), followed by an infusion of healthy stem cells that work to restore your bone marrow.  

Healthy stem cells can be collected from a donor or, sometimes, from your own bone marrow. The new stem cells help regenerate healthy bone marrow by producing new platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells. 

Bone marrow transplants may cause both short-and long-term side effects, which your doctor will discuss with you if this approach is recommended. 

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is a newer type of treatment for leukemia and lymphoma. It uses drugs that specifically recognize and target cancer cells without harming normal cells.  

Targeted therapeutic drugs often pinpoint specific mutations or proteins that are involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells. Targeted therapy can be taken orally. 

Your doctor may use targeted therapy as an initial treatment or combined with other treatments. An advantage of targeted therapy over chemotherapy is that the targeted drugs are associated with less severe side effects. 

CAR T & BiTE

CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell and BiTE (bispecific T-cell engager) therapies are both used to treat blood cancers, including leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma. They work by helping your T-cells, types of white blood cells, target specific cancer markers. 

These treatments are performed at our Texas Medical Center locations. They are given by IV or injection, and often require short hospitalizations to monitor for side effects.  

With CAR T-cell therapy, we first must collect your own cells through a process known as apheresis. These collected immune cells are then genetically modified to target your cancer cells. This process takes about 6 weeks, so oftentimes you will be given other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation while waiting for these cells to be made. Once the cells are ready, they are given back to you by an infusion. Due to toxicities from immune system activation, you will require a short hospitalization for monitoring.   

BiTEs are medications that help your body’s T-lymphocytes (immune cells) target specific markers to destroy cancer cells. These are usually given at a lower dose that is slowly increased, often requiring a short hospitalization to monitor for side effects.