Evolving role of radiation therapy for hematologic malignancies

Hematologic malignancies are cancers of the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes including Hodgkin's disease (also called Hodgkin's Lymphoma), Lymphomas (Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma), Myeloma and Leukemias. New cases of these hematologic malignancies account for nine percent: of cancer cases diagnosed in the United States, and about 59,200 persons are killed by these diseases each year. Extensive research over the past two decades has led to an explosion of new therapies resulting in improvement in outcomes. This review will discuss die evolving role of radiation therapy for these diseases.