Palliative Care in Hematologic Malignancies and Serious Blood Disorders

This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview on palliative care for patients with hematologic malignancies and other serious blood disorders. The text reviews the unique needs of this patient population, management strategies for hematologists/oncologists and palliative care clinician collaboration, and issues salient to the provision of palliative care, including communication, decision-making, advance care planning, symptom management, ethics, and nursing considerations. The book also spotlights special hematology populations, such as pediatric and older adult patients, and issues pertaining to the care of patients with blood disorders at the end of life.

Divided into four sections, this book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview on palliative care for patients with hematologic malignancies and other serious blood disorders.

Written by experts in the field, Palliative Care for Hematologic Malignancies and Serious Blood Disorders: A Clinical Guide is a valuable resource that will support and guide clinicians as they care for this patient population and address their particular needs.

Christina K. Ullrich, MD, MPH

Clinical Director, Pediatric Advanced Care Team (Pediatric Palliative Care)

Institute Physician, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Pediatric

Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston Children’s Hospital

Associate Professor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Boston, MA

USA

Eric Roeland, MD, FAAHPM

Associate Professor, Oregon Health and Science University

Director, Symptom Science at the Knight Cancer Institute

Medical Oncology, Palliative Care

Dr.  Ullrich is an Institute Physician in Pediatric Palliative Care and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Having completed fellowships in both areas, as well as a health services research fellowship, she is board certified in both the subspecialties of hospice and palliative medicine and pediatric hematology/oncology.

Her main career aim is to optimize the wellbeing of children with serious illness.  Through a focus on children who undergo HSCT, she aims to integrate the principles of palliative care into the care of children undergoing intense, cure-oriented treatment such as HSCT through a variety of clinical, educational and research undertakings. She has written some of the first papers on palliative care in HSCT (adult or pediatric), including one demonstrating differences in end of life outcomes associated with palliative care consultation.  She is also conducting one of the largest studies of symptoms and QOL as reported by children themselves in this population. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapies Special Interest Group for Palliative Care

Dr. Ullrich is the Clinical Director of the Pediatric Advanced Care Team, an expert and dedicated interdisciplinary team caring for children with a wide range of serious or advanced conditions at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  She can’t imagine more rewarding or fulfilling work.

Eric Roeland, MD, FAAHPM, is an Associate Professor of Medical Oncology and Palliative Care serving as the Director of the Symptom Science research program at the Oregon Health and Science University, Knight Cancer Institute. Dr. Roeland earned his medical degree at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He completed his internal medicine training and hematology and oncology fellowship at the University of California San Diego and a palliative medicine fellowship at San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine. He is board-certified in medical oncology and hospice and palliative medicine.-

Dr. Roeland is an Associate Professor at the Oregon Health and ScienceUniversity. His clinical practice focuses on caring for adults with cancer experiencing poorly controlled symptoms. As the Director of the Knight Cancer Institute Symptom Science Clinical Research Program, his research focuses on Symptom Science, characterizing symptoms' phenotypes and biological underpinnings to develop effective novel clinical interventions to inform clinical practice. He has participated in many industry- and grant-sponsored clinical trials spanning the last decade and has first-hand experience conducting supportive oncology clinical trials.