1.Introduction
Hematology-oncology department consists of hematology and oncology, which is one of the important subspecialty of internal medicine. The function of blood includes immunological functions, hemostasis and prevention of intravascular coagulation. When the hematopoietic function causes abnormal blood function due to internal or external factors, it will result hematologic diseases, such as aplastic anemia, leukemia, thalassemia & etc. Sometimes the body will produce antibodies causing damage to blood cells, such as autoimmune hemolytic anemia or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. There are wide range of oncology diseases. Malignant tumors developing in various organs of the body are called cancer. The Hematologists and oncologists are familiar with various blood diseases and cancer diagnosis, treatment & prognosis that can be according to the severity of the disease and the need to give appropriate treatment or consultation to related departments, such as surgery or radiation oncologist to give local treatment, and if necessary, to give chemotherapy drugs.
2.
A. S/S of Hematologic disease
1. Anemia: pale appearance, dizziness, easy fatigue, etc
2. Abnormal white count: fever, diaphoresis, sphenomegaly or lymphedenopathy, etc
3. Abnormal platelets or coagulopathy: subcutaneous hemorrhage, ecchymosis, etc
B. S/S of Oncologic disease
1. Generalized: fever, diaphoresis, weight loss, anemia, etc
2. Localized: superficial skin or subtaneous masses, lymphedenopathy, headache, blurred vision, neurologic deficits, epistaxis, hoarseness, dysphagia, prolonged cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, abdominal pain, hematemesis, melena, hematochezia, change of bowel habits, hematuria, difficult urination, vaginal hemorrhage, bone pain, poor wound healing, etc
3. Diagnosis & treatment
For treatment of leukemia and various malignant tumors, examinations through biochemical analysis, necessary X-rays, endoscopy, ultrasound, bone marrow or tissue proved biopsy, and smears test are performed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the cancer staging for patient's treatment plan, either using only surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or more combined treatment modality respectively. Up to the present, each type of cancer has its own standard treatment method. For example, patients with lymphoma, leukemia, testicular cancer, germ cell cancer can be administered with systemic chemotherapy; and patients with resectable breast cancer and colorectal cancer postoperatively received adjuvant chemotherapy or combined with radiation therapy to reduce the chance of recurrence and prolonging life or achieve the purpose of healing.
For treatment of non-cancerous blood or tumor diseases, lack of nutrients is one of the reason causing anemia, proper medication are prescribed, such as iron and folic acid. Corticosterone therapy are administered for autoimmune, hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia purpura while partial benign tumors can be excised through surgery.
3.Prognosis
Cancer can be cured, although the prognosis for each type of cancer is different. "Early diagnosis, Early treatment," is the only way of treatment. So we should pay attention to signs of cancer, avoid high-risk carcinogen, and undergo cancer screening test.