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Hematology refers to a medical speciality that examines and treats blood diseases. The actual disease can direct at either the cells or plasma in blood. Changes in the quantities of blood cells do not directly identify the blood disease. For this reason, patients are examined thoroughly and, in many cases, samples are collected from bone marrow. To reach a diagnosis and be able to quickly begin treatments, the samples are examined in laboratories that are specialised in the diagnostics of blood diseases. Over the last few years, treatments for malignant blood diseases have taken major steps forward and the majority of patients can be cured with cytotoxic chemotherapy or stem cell transplantations.
Changes in blood plasma can lead to disturbances in blood clotting. If blood clotting is weakened, this can lead to a hemorrhagic disease, whereas excess clotting predisposes the patient to vascular obstructions. The diagnostics and treatment of these coagulation disorders require specialised medical care. In addition, these diseases can be hereditary, in which case examining and instructing the patient’s relatives form an important part of the treatment. A unit specialised into bleeding and coagulation disorders operates at the hematology clinic.
Treatment provided at the university hospital is based on researched data, and treatment practices at the hematology clinic abide by international recommendations. They are adapted to suit Finnish health care and introduced based on assessments made by Finnish specialists.