Immunosuppressants: What is their role in cancer care?
An immunosuppressant is anything that diminishes the body’s natural ability to respond to threats, such as cancer or viruses, like the ones that cause the common cold.
Sometimes, due to autoimmune disorders such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma or Sjögren’s syndrome, the immune system is already suppressed. But in the context of cancer care, immunosuppressants are drugs that we sometimes give to patients...
Myelodysplastic syndrome survivor: UT MD Anderson helped me overcome cancer and become a mom
I’ve always wanted to have children. It’s something I’ve known about myself from a very young age.
So, when I found out the treatment...
Understanding VEXAS Syndrome: Why this often-missed condition affects men over 50
VEXAS syndrome is a clonal blood disorder that can trigger widespread inflammation throughout the body and mostly affects men over age 50....
Leukemia specialists: How advances in measurable residual disease (MRD) are improving cancer care
Measurable residual disease (MRD) is a monitoring tool that physicians use to assess the remission status of patients with leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas and other blood disorders.
Formerly known as “minimal residual disease,” this term describes a situation in which cancer cells are still present in the body after treatment, yet undetectable using current testing methods.
Two of our leukemia specialists...
Your stem cell transplant consultation: Questions to ask
Your doctor may recommend that you undergo a stem cell transplant if you’ve been diagnosed with a blood cancer, such as leukemia, lymphoma...
Understanding stem cell transplants
A stem cell transplant is often the best option to treat blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and ...
Understanding allogeneic stem cell transplants: What you need to know
Stem cell transplants use healthy, immature cells to replace those that either aren’t working properly in a person’s bone marrow or have been...
Need a stem cell transplant? 4 tips to make your life easier
Cancer patients usually have to make some lifestyle adjustments to accommodate their treatment. That could mean anything from taking time...
Clinical nutrition manager and cancer survivor: Why I’m an MD Anderson fan for life
My father died of hairy cell leukemia in 1980, when I was only 4. Before he passed away, he wrote me letters for every major milestone in...
5 precancerous conditions and what you can do about them
You may already know that some types of colon polyps can develop into colorectal cancer. Or, that cervical dysplasia can sometimes lead to...