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Myelodysplasia and Myeloproliferative Disorder Care

When you’re a patient at Swedish, we don’t just treat your illness – we treat you. We use the most advanced treatments to create a highly personalized care plan. We also support you and your loved ones with a full range of services throughout your entire journey. The result is effective, whole-person care for your body, mind and spirit.

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Why Choose Us for Myelodysplasia and Myeloproliferative Disorder Care?

At Swedish, we see the life in you. Together, let’s finish cancer – so you don’t have to miss any of life’s special moments.

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No two patients, or their treatment plans, are alike. Through the Swedish Cancer Institute's, the specialists in our Hematologic Malignancies program utilize the newest, most advanced science, called gene sequencing. Our expert clinicians work with you to design a treatment plan that fits your personal needs. It’s an approach that combines leading-edge treatment with the compassionate care Swedish is known for. Why? Because we know this results in the best outcomes.

As a patient, you’ll be supported throughout your entire care journey by our expert multidisciplinary care team of board-certified hematologists and radiation oncologists. It’s a team-based approach to myelodysplasia and myeloproliferative disorders. Your care team may also include nurse navigators, psychosocial specialists, nutritionists and other specialists. We also provide you and your family with a full range of support services well beyond conventional treatment, from genetic counseling and education to nutrition and pain management.

Learn more about the experts who make up our multidisciplinary cancer care teams.

Blood disease doesn’t discriminate, but access to great hematology care hasn’t always been the same for everyone. At Swedish, we are deeply committed to making sure every patient we treat has access to the best care. We offer various location-specific services to help our patients receive equitable care, such as translation for non-English-speaking patients, telehealth and transportation assistance. We value, respect and support the racial, ethnic, religious, spiritual, gender, and sexual identities of each member of our diverse communities, and we welcome all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. We aim to make sure every patient is treated equally and with dignity – whoever you are, and wherever you’re at.

At any given time, the Swedish Cancer Institute offers patients more than 140 clinical-research studies involving most types of cancers. Clinical trials give patients access to promising new medications and procedures before they are widely available. Such trials are also the primary way that progress is made in finding better approaches to treatment and cure. Additionally, our physician specialists collaborate with other regional and national research groups, including Southwest Oncology Group, National Cancer Institute, Puget Sound Oncology Consortium and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

What Are Myelodysplasia and Myeloproliferative Disorders?

Myelodysplasia and myeloproliferative disorders are diseases of the bone marrow and blood. In myelodysplastic diseases, there are fewer healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in the blood. In myeloproliferative diseases, too many stem cells develop, increasing the number of blood cells. The expert oncology teams at Swedish use the most effective therapies to treat patients with every type of myelodysplasia and myeloproliferative disorder and their related conditions, including:

  • Essential thrombocytosis
  • Myelodysplasia
  • Polycythemia vera
  • Myelofibrosis

Testing and Diagnostics

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Diagnostic tools help our clinicians determine which therapies will work best for each patient, based on many factors like the patient’s diagnosis and particular genetic profile. Your doctors will use multiple advanced diagnostic and prognostic tools to help design your individualized treatment plan, including:

  • Genetics and genomics
  • MRI

Personalized Treatment for Myelodysplasia and Myeloproliferative Disorders

We take a team approach, because we know this offers the best success in managing and curing blood and bone marrow disorders. Your multidisciplinary team will work with you to design an individualized care plan, from diagnosis to post-treatment support. We offer many different therapies across our Swedish locations. Depending on your condition, your personal care plan may include one or more of the following:

Systemic Therapies Radiation Therapies Gene Sequencing
Systemic Therapies

Systemic therapies travel through the bloodstream and affect cells in other body parts. They are used for patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body or if there’s a high risk of spread. Sophisticated genetic analysis allows us to target therapies to specific DNA mutations that cause cancer cells to develop and grow. Systemic therapies include:

  • Chemotherapy
  • Clinical trials
  • Molecularly targeted therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from a source like X-rays or photons to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It may be part of a treatment plan that also includes systemic therapies and/or surgery. Radiation is sometimes used to help ease a patient’s pain or discomfort. Radiation therapies include:

  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
  • Stereotactic radiation (SABR/SBRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
  • Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT/SIGRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
  • Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)

Gene sequencing is used for many types of cancer, but it is particularly important with hematologic malignancies because there are usually many different mutations that cause leukemia. Knowing which mutation is causing your cancer is a powerful tool that helps your doctor prescribe the best treatment right from the start.

Using high-tech equipment, the chromosomes and DNA in the cancer cells are studied and the specific type of abnormality that is causing the cancer is identified. Research has shown that some abnormalities respond better to certain kinds of treatment, so gene sequencing allows your doctor to create the ultimate customized treatment plan.

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Accreditations

We are proud to see our dedication to our patients recognized by the most well-respected programs and institutions in the United States. Several of our Swedish locations have achieved the following accreditations:

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Meet the Team

At Swedish, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.

Find Clinical Trials

Are you looking for a clinical trial for yourself or for a patient? We’d love to help you find one!

Learn more about clinical trials
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