Supportive Care

For many of the newly reportable hematopoietic diseases, the principal treatment is either supportive care, observation, or another type of treatment that does not meet the usual definition that treatment "modifies, controls, removes or destroys proliferating cancer tissue." Such treatments include phlebotomy, transfusions, aspirin, supportive care and observation. In order to document that patients with hematopoietic diseases did have some medical treatment, SEER and the Commission on Cancer have agreed to record these treatments as "Other Treatment" (code 1) for the hematopoietic diseases ONLY. A complete description of the treatment plan should be recorded in the text field for "Other Treatment" on the abstract.

  • Transfusions may include whole blood, RBCs, platelets, plateletpheresis, fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and cryoprecipitate.
  • Phlebotomy may be called blood removal, blood letting, or venisection.
  • Aspirin (also known as ASA or acetylsalicylic acid and many brand names) is used as a treatment for essential thrombocythemia. To determine whether aspirin is administered for pain, cardiovascular protection or thinning of platelets in the blood, use the following general guideline: pain control: 325-1000 mg every 3-4 hours; cardio-vascular protection: starts at about 160 mg/day; aspirin treatment for essential thrombocythemia is low dose (70-100 mg/day). Record ONLY aspirin therapy intended to thin the blood for symptomatic control of thrombocythemia.

Standard cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation (including P32 for polycythemia) and surgery (such as splenectomy for myelofibrosis) should be recorded in the appropriate data fields.

Leukemia patients are susceptible to infections (herpes zoster, pneumocystis carinii, and candidal albicans) because they have few bone marrow reserves to fight infection.

  • Transfusion with fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and/or platelets
  • Isolation techniques
  • White blood cell transfusions

Systemic antibiotics

To prevent infection when patient is myelosuppressed

Semi-synthetic Penicillin

Types of penicillins are: Amdinocillin, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Azlocillin, Bacampicillin, Carbenicillin, Cloxacillin, Cyclacillin, Dicloxacillin, Methicillin, Mexlocillin, Nafcillin, Oxacillin, Penicillin G, Penicillin V, Piperacillin, Ticarcillin

Brand names of penicillins are: Amcill, Amoxil, Augmentin, Azlin, Bactocill, Beepen-VK, Bicillin L-A, Cloxapen, Coactin, Crysticillin, Duracillin, Dycill, Dynapen, Geocillin, Geopen, Ledercillin, Mezlin, Nafcil, Nallpen, NaMPICIL, Omnipen, Pathocil, Penapar, Pentids, Pen Vee K, Permapen, Pfizerpen, Pipracil, Polycillin, Polymox, Principen, Prostaphlin, Robicillin, Spectrobid, Staphcillin, Sumox, Supen, Tegopen, Ticar, Timentin, Totacillin, Trimox, Unipen, Utimox, V-Cillin K, Wycillin, Wymox

Aminoglycosides

Types of aminoglycosides are: Amikacin, Gentamincin, Kanamycin, Neomycin, Netilmicin, Streptomycin, Tobramycin

Brand names of aminoglycosides are: Amikin, Apogen, Garamycin, Kantrex, Klebcil, Nebcin, Neo-IM, Netromycin

Cephalosporin

Type of cephalosporin are: Cefaclor, Cefadroxil, Cefamandole, Cefazolin, Cefonicid, Cefoperazone, Ceforanide, Cefotaxime, Cefotetan, Cefoxitin, Ceftazidime, Ceftizoxime, Ceftriaxone, Cefurozime, Cephalexin, Cephalothin, Cephapirin, Cephradine, Moxalactam.

Brand names of cephalosporin are: Ancef, Anspor, Ceclor, Cefadyl, Cefobid, Cefotan, Duricef, Fortaz, Kefletl, Keflex, Keflin, Neutral, Kefuroz, Kefzol, Mandol, Mefozin, Monocid, Moxam, Rocefphin, Seffin Neutral, Tazidime, Ultracef, Velosef, Zinacef

Immunoglobulin (intravenous Ig)