Haematology Oncology
The Mater Haematology Service provides inpatient and outpatient care to patients with a wide range of haematological diseases, including:
- acute and chronic leukaemias
- myelodysplastic syndromes
- myeloproliferative diseases
- Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas
- multiple myeloma
- aplastic anaemia
- non-malignant haematological autoimmune diseases
- clotting and bleeding disorders.
Haematologists
- Director, A/Professor Laurence Catley MBBS FRACP FRCPA.
- Dr Raymond Banh MBBS FRACP FRCPA
Apheresis Clinical Nurses Consultant and Transplant Co-ordinator
- Katrina Williams RN BN Post Grad Dip Cancer Nursing
Clinical Trials Co-ordinator
The Mater autologous stem cell transplantation unit includes a NATA accredited cryopreservation laboratory for the collection, storage, and re-infusion of peripheral blood haematopoietic stem cells. The unit provides a team approach, the most up to date chemotherapy schedules, and on-site access to radiation therapy, intensive care unit, CT scanner, and MRI imaging and pathology.
Chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs. Chemotherapy is toxic to cancer cells more than to normal cells. The drugs stop the cancer cells from growing and therefore reduce the amount of tumour.
- Usually, several courses of chemotherapy are required to eradicate the malignant cells as much as possible, while the normal cells are allowed to recover between courses. In this way, maximum benefit can be derived while limiting side effects.
- Chemotherapy may be taken as tablets or by injection into the vein.
- Central venous access is often used to improve drug administration when given intravenously.
- Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be used to increase the doses of chemotherapy and improve survival of some patients diagnosed with haematological malignancies, especially multiple myeloma or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
- Growth factors are injected after chemotherapy to hasten blood count recovery. This is important in keeping cancer therapy on track, and preventing delays.
Radiotherapy
- Radiotherapy uses x-rays to kill cancer cells, which are generally more sensitive to radiation than normal cells.
- These x-rays can be targeted to more localized cancer sites in your body, to improve local tumour control.
- Radiotherapy is effective for the relief of bone pain caused by multiple myeloma, helps to prevent the bone fractures, and may also relieve other conditions such as pressure on the spinal cord.
- Treatment is carefully planned to do as little harm as possible to your normal body tissues. Radiotherapy is generally given in multiple fractions to reduce toxicity to normal tissues.
Allied health
Mater haematology unit works as a close team with dedicated team of professionals from disciplines of dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, pastoral care, pharmacy, social work, and speech pathology.
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