Our doctors and patients explain why MSK is leading the way in diagnosing and treating lymphoma.
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Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes, which predominately reside in the lymph glands, but they can also be present in the blood and the bone marrow.
And there are many different subtypes -- over 70 and growing.
We're talking about rare illnesses here. And many oncologists won't see a specific type of lymphoma but for once or twice a year or less.
It can be very challenging to diagnose because it can look like a number of other types of cancer that can go to the lymph nodes.
And the treatment outcome depends on the accurate diagnosis. So you have to know what you're dealing with to give the best available potentially curative regimen.
And that's why we rely on a group of pathologists that are dedicated to lymphoma care.
And expert pathology review is the building block of the treatment plan. Without the correct diagnosis, the treatment plan is wrong.
So you have to go to a place where you have a cutting edge knowledge of diagnostic and treatments.
At Memorial, the rare is common. We've seen it all. We've done it all. And we have the experience and expertise, individually and collectively, to give the right care.
If you're newly diagnosed with lymphoma, most likely, this is one of the scariest situations you've found yourself in.
When I first fell ill, I went to my local hospital and knew that I needed to go elsewhere because my situation was critical.
If we can get you the information you need to understand your disease and make the decisions that are crucial to your care, that's what we're here for.
What we offer here that a patient may not be able to receive elsewhere is access to novel treatment approaches and a team that is committed to providing compassionate patient-centered care.
It's important to know that everyone here is really supportive. Everyone here is here to make your experience better.
Their knowledge, their caring, their support. Everybody made me so at ease, I knew I was in the right place. I knew I made the right decision.
One of the advantages we have is that we have an entire service of physicians who remain at the cutting edge and are defining these new standards of care.
We are the ones who often write the recommendations that are followed by the rest of the country and even the rest of the world.
The insight and experience of all of the lymphoma doctors on our service is brought to bear on each individual patient's case when determining the optimal treatment plan. You're not seeing one doctor. You're actually seeing a whole team.
Many lymphomas are curable. Therefore, if we get it right the first time, the patient will be finished with their treatment.
But we're not just doing what's been done. We're also moving the ball forward.
And we have a very large and deep portfolio of clinical trials that are available.
I knew the clinical trial was what we were going to do. And the rapid pace that it cleared up my cancer was just amazing. And if I can recommend it to anybody else, I would.
Aside from the knowledge and the research and the science of it, the support is just unbelievable.
We have our lymphoma service faculty practicing both in Manhattan as well as sites on Long Island, New Jersey and in Westchester.
The whole team here works for you, from nurses to physician assistants to pathologists to radiologists to radiation therapists.
They come in with a smile. And when you're upset, it makes such a difference to see such a kind face.
It's very important for us to understand their lymphoma in the context of their lives, in terms of what their needs are, what their hopes are, what their personal experiences are, and how we bring that to bear in terms of determining what the best treatment approach is for that patient.
Everyone around me was prepared to help me get well. And that's what's happened for me.
Cancer is for real. And so is this place. They will take care of you from step one. And they will be with you until you're done and the cancer is out and you can go back and live your life, the way that I am finally living my life cancer-free.