Haematology

Multidisciplinary team leads

Dr. Matthew Greenwood - bone marrow transplant MDT lead

Dr. Luke Coyle - lymphoma/radiology MDT lead

What is blood cancer?

Blood is made up of different types of cells. These cells are made in our bones. Blood cancers happen when these blood cells aren’t made properly. It can be abnormal division (splitting) of cells, abnormal growth, or abnormal function of blood cells. These changes might happen in early or later cell development.

There are three main groups of blood cancers:

Leukaemias,
Lymphomas, and
Myelomas.

Blood cancers can be fast growing (acute) or slow growing (indolent and/or chronic).

Our service

The haematology department provides treatments for blood cancers and other blood disorders. There is an inpatient unit and there are outpatient services.

Treatments can include:

Chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy,
Radiation,
Apheresis (where a particular part of the blood is removed and replaced),
Venesection (removing blood to analysis it or for treatment),
Transfusions, and
Stem cell transplants.
Haematology at RNSH also run several clinical trials.

The haematology team includes: haematologists (doctors who treat blood diseases), medical registrars, residents, interns, clinical nurse consultants and specialist, cancer care coordinators, nurse unit managers, laboratory scientists, social worker, pharmacists, clinical psychologist and dieticians. All team members work together to individualise your treatment and give you the best care at RNSH.

Multidisciplinary team (MDT) and clinics

Monday afternoon

Haematology ward round

Wednesday morning

Clinical case discussion (statewide referrals)
Bone marrow transplant MDT

Friday morning

Radiology/lymphoma MDT
Myeloma only nurse led clinic – fortnightly 9-12 on level 1 NSCC – any myeloma patient starting on a new line of therapy

Diseases

Acute leukaemias

Acute myeloid leukaemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia

Chronic leukaemias

Chronic myeloid leukaemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Hairy cell leukaemia

Biphenotypic leukaemia

Hodgkin’s lymphomas

Nodula sclerosing lymphoma

Mixed cellularity lymphoma

Lymphocyte-rich lymphoma

Lymphocyte depleted lymphoma

Nodular lymphocyte predominant lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma

SLL/CLL

Mantle cell lymphoma

Burkitt’s lymphoma

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas

AIDS related lymphoma

CNS lymphoma

Adult T-cell lymphoma

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Double hit lymphoma

Lymphoblastic lymphoma

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Nodal marginal zone lymphoma

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma

Myelomas

Multiple myeloma

IgG myeloma

IgA myeloma

Light chain myeloma (Bence Jones myeloma)

Non-secretary myeloma

Smouldering myeloma

IgD myeloma

IgE myeloma

IgM myeloma

Myeloproliferative neoplasms

Primary myelofibrosis

Polycythaemia vera

Essential thrombocythaemia

Blood disorders

Myelodysplastic syndromes

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia

Aplastic anaemia

Amyloidosis

Thalassaemia

Von Willbrand disease

Leukocytosis

Plasmacytoma

Monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance

Haematology cancer experts

Haematologists

Dr. William Stevenson

Dr. Luke Coyle

Dr. Matthew Greenwood

Dr. David Kliman

Dr. Keith Fay

Dr. Naomi Mackinlay

Dr. Victoria Pechey

Prof. Stephen Mulligan

Prof. Ian Kerridge

Prof. Chris Ward

Dr. Grace Gifford

Dr. Natalie Cromer

Dr. Chris Arthur

Haematology pathologists

Dr Tom Kennedy

Dr Lesley Survela

Dr Poomahal Kumar

Pharmacists

Marrow Transplants - Andriana Colic

Haematology - Ariana MacCauley

Clinical Trials Pharmacists

Cancer Care Team Lead Pharmacist - Mellissa Batger

Radiation oncologists

Prof. Susan Carroll

Dr. Marita Morgia

Bone marrow transplant nurse practitioner

Julija Sipavicius

Bone marrow transplant fellow

Rotated position

Molly Forbes, Haematology Clinical Trial Unit NUM

Molly Forbes is the Nurse Unit Manager for Haematology Clinical trials. Molly has worked in the trials unit since the early 2000’s, initially as a study coordinator/research nurse, and as manager for the last 12 years. The research nurse facilitates the patient treatment journey of through a clinical trial, ensuring the patient experience is seamless and as stress free as possible. The trials team work closely with the haematology consultants and are committed to ensuring patients can participate in a clinical trial when appropriate.

Cancer nurse coordinators

Johanna Guest, Bone Marrow Transplant Coordinator
Jo is one of the marrow transplant coordinators and has worked at RNSH for almost 30 years caring for haematology and bone marrow transplant patients. Jo is an integral part of the BMT team and is committed to ensuring the best patient care and outcomes throughout the transplant experience. Jo has a graduate certificate in oncology nursing and is completing a Masters of Advanced Nursing at UTS.
Nonie Ferrer, Apheresis Cancer Nurse
Nonie Ferrer is the apheresis clinical nurse consultant RNSH. I support bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients undergoing haematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) collection. I also provide education, training, support and consultation to patients, families, and clinicians in the provision of therapeutic apheresis procedures including mononuclear cell collections, white blood cell depletion, red blood cell exchanges, platelet collection/depletion and therapeutic plasma exchanges. I have a graduate certificate in cancer nursing and completing my Master of Cancer and Haematology Nursing at the University of Sydney. I have been in haematology and BMT since 2008.

Affiliations/partners

Division of medicine

Radiation oncology

Interventional radiology

HammondCare - community palliative care

Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group

Agency for Clinical Innovation - Bone and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapies Network

Kolling Institute

North Foundation

Questions to ask your doctor

When diagnosed with cancer, it's common to feel overwhelmed and forget questions to ask the doctor. The Cancer Council offers a list of suggested questions for you or your carer to ask at appointments.

These can help you be more involved in your care.