New methods and precision medicine in the treatment of hematological diseases

-The doctors of the Hematology Clinic of PAGNI explained what blood diseases are at a symposium of the Medical Society of Rethymno

Blood diseases are not rare anymore, since the modern lifestyle has increased the average age and blood diseases usually concern older citizens.
In Crete it is important that the Hematology Clinic of Heraklion University Hospital is one of the top in the country, performs an excellent job and essentially serves the citizens of the entire island (and beyond).
For hematological diseases, a symposium was held on Wednesday afternoon in Rethymno by the Medical Society and its hematology clinic EMPTY under her auspices of Rethymnon Regional Unit.
With the latest data on the diagnosis and treatment of hematological diseases, the Professor of Hematology and Director of the Hematology Clinic of PAGNI Eleni Papadakis and its partners, Charalambos Pontikoglou-Associate Professor of Hematology, University of Crete, Maria Psyllaki -Director of ESY Hematology Clinic PaGNI and Anastasia Komodromou -Specialist Hematology Clinic PaGNI informed the citizens present at the event.
Now, as Mrs. Papadakis pointed out, the modern trend in the treatment of hematological diseases is precision medicine. That is, the “personalized treatment” depending on the characteristics and data of each patient.
“Precision medicine is the modern treatment of patients with hematological and oncological diseases, where the purpose of the therapeutic approach is not to offer the same treatment for all patients, but to individualize the treatment according to the special characteristics of each patient.
In other words, a personalized treatment is made, so that genetic characteristics are taken into account, as well as characteristics such as lifestyle and health problems. This is the modern way of treating diseases and of course we follow this way at the PAGNI Hematology Clinic, where we have developed the methods to treat patients with hematological malignancies in this way.
Now people are living longer than they used to live and therefore it is natural that diseases develop that we didn’t see as much in the past because people died earlier. Whereas now with the modern ways of nutrition, care, that everyone does their check-up, people live longer and thus we also see diseases that we didn’t see before. So I wouldn’t say that there is an outbreak of diseases.
Precision medicine does not only concern hematological, but also oncological diseases, but I would say that also in other chronic diseases, such as chronic inflammations, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc., we go as much as possible for each patient, we do not give i.e. the same treatment for everyone,” noted Ms. Papadaki, who emphasized that patients who see some worrying or unexplained data in their tests should first consult their physician before going to the hematologist: “A patient must first undergo by the general practitioner, the pathologist, to evaluate the findings of the general blood work and then be referred to a specialist doctor, such as the hematologist. For example, anemia, which is the most common hematological problem, is rarely due to something specific hematological. It’s usually an iron deficiency, so not all hematological problems should reach the hematologist, because then the essence is lost.”
The Director of ESY Hematology Clinic PAGNI spoke about multiple myeloma Maria Psyllaki, while Mr. Charalambos Pontikoglou explained what myelodysplastic syndromes are, what citizens should and should not be concerned about and how they are treated.
Myelodysplastic syndromes are unexplained low values ​​of hematocrit or white blood cells or platelets. Many times the patient does a complete blood count, the microbiologist tells him that he sees anemia, low white blood cells or platelets and arrives at the hematologist.
The hematologist has to manage these low values, which many times, especially in old age, are the result of some malignant condition. Myelodysplastic syndromes essentially describe these unexplained cytopenias. They are diseases of older ages, which unfortunately sooner or later will develop into something more aggressive, such as acute leukemia.
But now we have enough weapons and newer drugs, which can also improve the quality of life of patients, not to be dependent on transfusions all the time, and to prolong survival and delay progression.
People should remember: when the doctor tells him to go to a hematologist, because I see low white or red or platelets, without panicking, to do it, because we can help with myelodysplastic syndromes.
The disease requires a transplant to be cured. But because the patients are usually old, they cannot go for a transplant. So these treatments that we’re going to talk about are prolonging, improving quality of life and prolonging survival. Not a radical cure, which we have only by transplantation.
Juvenile myelodysplastic syndromes also exist in children, but they are rare. If anyone will see, it is about 4 cases per 100 thousand in younger people. And in older ages it is around 40-50″, noted the associate professor.
The president of the Medical Society of Rethymno Petros GiannetakisHe praised the operation of his hematology clinic EMPTY and emphasized: “Precision medicine is a new development of science, it is a new aspect of medicine, which intervenes in the human genome and can accurately approach prevention, diagnosis of many diseases and above all targeted and therefore effective treatment. This is a very important development and it is important that this issue we decided, among others, to discuss at the symposium.
Fortunately for Crete there is the PAGNI hematology clinic and the professor Mrs Eleni Papadakis and its worthy partners and they really accomplish a task, considering that all the patients of Crete end up there and find their solutions as well”.
ANGELIC CULTURE