Malignant Hematology Oncology Program | MedStar Health

 

A team of physicians from the MedStar Health hematology oncology specialty.

Our world-renowned experts provide precision diagnostics and individualized treatment, leading to the best outcomes for patients with blood cancers

At MedStar Health, our Malignant Hematologic Oncology program located at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, brings together world-class specialists in all types of blood cancers, including yours. When you’re diagnosed with a blood cancer, you need the expertise of an integrated team who has extensive knowledge and experience in caring for your particular disease. Part of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, we provide comprehensive, highly individualized blood cancer care using cutting-edge technology and research, including clinical trials.

Through our Malignant Hematologic Oncology program, patients benefit from:

  • Rigorous expertise in treating leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma
    Blood cancers are complex and rapidly changing, which is why it’s important that you have access to experts who specialize in treating your specific type of cancer. Here, you’ll find disease specialists who focus exclusively on diagnosing and treating patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. As active researchers, our hematology oncologists are leaders in their fields, using their clinical and academic expertise to offer the highest level of care.
  • Next-generation diagnostic technology
    Through next-generation sequencing, our specialists can identify each patients’ unique cancer subtype and genetic markers, gaining deeper insight into the type of cancer you have and how best to treat it.
  • Precision medicine for the best patient outcomes
    Our team is at the forefront of precision medicine—a complex, highly personalized approach that considers the type of tumor, the genetics of your disease, your lifestyle, and your environment to deliver a customized treatment plan. Patients’ treatment plans are reviewed on a regular basis by a multispecialty care team that includes experts in hematology, medical oncology, pathology, and radiation oncology to monitor progress and continue to tailor the plan as needed.
  • Molecular diagnostics, a critical component of identifying the right treatment
    The right treatment begins with understanding the genetic makeup of your cancer from the beginning. This enables us to provide patients with advanced therapies directed by genetic testing, including those only available in clinical trials—offering the best chance of positive outcomes.
 

Program information

Compassionate and comprehensive services and treatments, all under one roof

Dr. Joseph RoswarskiEmbracing a multidisciplinary approach, our team of hematologist-oncologists and other cancer specialists work together to diagnose and treat patients with all types of blood cancers using the most advanced therapies available. From diagnosis to treatment and survivorship, you’ll appreciate having seamless access to all of our specialists and services in the same building.

  • Advanced diagnostic testing, including molecular diagnostics and next-generation sequencing technology
  • Comprehensive screening, staging, and pathology services, including liquid biopsy technology
  • Second opinion consultations to validate or identify new treatment options
  • Cellular immunotherapy, including:
    • CAR T-cell therapy, including all FDA-approved treatments and those available in clinical trials
    • Bi-specific antibody therapy, that target both B-cells and T-cells to augment anti-tumor responses
  • Active clinical trials, through our research engine, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Immunotherapy, including monoclonal antibody therapy
  • Stem cell transplantation, including both autologous and allogeneic transplantation
  • Targeted therapy to pinpoint certain genetic alterations or proteins within the cancer cells, including numerous oral medications and small molecule inhibitors
  • Traditional cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy
  • Support services that address any physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual needs that arise

Learn More About Blood Cancer Treatments

Our renowned experts and disease specialists treat all types of blood cancers

Our hematology-oncologists are board-certified and fellowship trained in your disease. Learn more about the types of blood cancers we treat below.

  • Leukemia

    Leukemias, including:

    • Acute and chronic myeloid and lymphoid leukemias
    • Myelodysplastic syndrome
    • Myeloproliferative neoplasms
    • Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP)

    Learn more

  • Lymphoma

    Lymphomas, including:

    • Aggressive lymphomas, including:
      • Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
      • Hodgkin lymphoma
      • Burkitt lymphoma
      • T-cell lymphomas
    • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
    • Indolent lymphomas, including:
      • Follicular lymphoma
      • Marginal zone lymphoma
    • Lymphomas following transplantation
    • Lymphomas in adolescent and young adult populations
    • Virally associated lymphomas

    Learn more

  • Plasma cell dyscrasias (including multiple myeloma)

    Plasma cell dyscrasias, including:

    • AL amyloidosis
    • Multiple myeloma
    • MGUS (precancerous conditions)
    • Smoldering myeloma
    • Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia


Cutting-edge research translates to better patient care

Our research engine, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center in Washington, D.C. Through this partnership, we’re dedicated to evaluating new and better ways to treat blood cancers by serving as principal investigators for Phase I, II, and III clinical trials. Our research helps us better care for our patients, allowing us to translate our findings into effective treatment options.

Highlights of our current areas of study include:

  • Developing novel therapeutic applications for acute leukemia and integrating genomics of leukemia into mechanisms to treat and prevent the disease
  • Using a novel bi-specific antibody recently approved by the FDA to treat patients who are newly diagnosed with follicular lymphoma
  • Assessing an exciting new form of CAR T-cell therapy for patients with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) who still have progressing disease after treatment
  • Evaluating refractory multiple myeloma in end-stage renal disease, MGUS associated peripheral neuropathy, and more

Find a Clinical Trial

Collaboration with MedStar Georgetown’s Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy program

We work closely with the Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy program at MedStar Georgetown, the only program in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to offer chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for adults. CAR T-cell therapy is a true game-changer for the future of cellular immunotherapy. Patients who would otherwise have limited options and poor outcomes—including older patients well into their 80s or those with co-morbidities precluding other treatment—have shown remarkable results with the approach.

Learn More

Patient stories

Adolescent and young adult patients

As a fully integrated, multidisciplinary program, our Malignant Hematology Oncology program provides experienced care for patients of all ages. A large percentage of our patients are between the ages of 15 and 39, giving us unique expertise in diagnosing and treating the adolescent and young adult population. 

Learn More About Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Hematology and Oncology

Patient resources

Contact us

To refer a patient or for more information about our Malignant Hematology Oncology group, please call Jane Hanna, RN, patient referral liaison at 202-444-5209