The 2nd Hematology Clinic provides high-level medical and nursing services for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and monitoring of benign and malignant diseases of the blood and hematopoietic organs, for both outpatients and hospitalized patients.
Precision Hematology
Modern hematological management at Metropolitan General is based on the principles of Precision Medicine, that is, personalized medicine in which subgroups of patients with the same disease are treated according to their shared cellular, molecular and genetic characteristics.
By applying these methods, enabled by modern biomedical advances, optimal results are achieved and therapeutic interventions are adjusted with maximum precision, either by intensifying treatment where necessary and appropriate or by reducing treatment intensity accordingly, without compromising the desired clinical outcome, while simultaneously reducing the cost of immediate and long-term side effects.
It should be noted that Precision Hematology marked the introduction of molecularly targeted therapies in malignant diseases, opening the way for the treatment of malignancies without chemotherapy.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Indeed, the first malignant disease identified with a stable cytogenetic abnormality was Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. It was subsequently characterized at the molecular level and, at the beginning of the 21st century (in 2001), the first molecularly targeted therapy was successfully applied with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor Imatinib.
Consequently, a previously fatal malignant disease, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, can now achieve functional cure with the administration of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and, under certain conditions, remission may be maintained even after discontinuation of treatment.
Immunotherapy
In addition, hematology plays a central role in the immune system through the hematopoietic organs and blood cells. T-lymphocytes, for example, are considered the “armed forces” of the immune system, as they constantly search for foreign antigens and distinguish pathological (malignant or infectious) from normal cells.
As a result, hematology has opened new therapeutic pathways in the treatment of malignancies through immunotherapy. The first monoclonal antibody was Rituximab (anti-CD20), approved in 1997 for malignant hematological diseases, particularly for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Subsequently, its therapeutic use expanded to numerous other malignant and benign conditions.
Thanks to modern biotechnology, tumor-targeting T-lymphocytes have been developed through genetically modified T-cells (CAR-T). In August 2018, CAR-T therapy was approved in the European Union for refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and young adults and for refractory large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Additional indications are expected in the near future.
At the 2nd Hematology Clinic we manage disorders of:
- red blood cells (anemias, erythrocytoses)
- hematopoietic organs (liver, spleen, bone marrow, thymus)
- white blood cells (leukopenias, leukocytoses, lymphomas, lymphoproliferative syndromes, multiple myeloma, myeloproliferative neoplasms, bone marrow failure syndromes, myelodysplastic syndromes, leukemias – acute and chronic)
- platelets (thrombocytopenias and thrombocytoses)
- hemostasis (thrombophilic/thrombotic and bleeding disorders)
Equipment and Medical Staff
Thanks to the advanced equipment of Metropolitan General, incorporating cutting-edge technologies, and the staffing with academic, scientific and experienced technical personnel, a wide range of hematological investigations is performed for the comprehensive diagnostic, therapeutic, prognostic, preventive and follow-up evaluation of hematological diseases and syndromes.
At the same time, Metropolitan General includes distinguished physicians from various specialties and newly established departments, ensuring excellent interdisciplinary collaboration for the successful management of even the most complex medical problems in daily clinical practice.
At the therapeutic level, the clinic operates an extended-hours One Day Clinic (ODC) where the following procedures are performed:
- bone marrow aspiration
- bone marrow biopsy
- lymph node aspiration
- lumbar puncture
- blood and platelet transfusions
- administration of blood products
- iron chelation therapy
- phlebotomy
- chemotherapy
- immunotherapy
Inpatient hospitalization is also provided by experienced medical and nursing staff.
The 2nd Hematology Clinic of Metropolitan General is staffed by professionals with extensive medical training and many years of experience in major hematology centers.
By applying the principles of Precision Medicine, the clinic further strengthens the upgraded and enriched medical services of Metropolitan General, establishing it as a modern healthcare institution of reference.