Why did we add Benign Hematology?
Benign Hematology refers broadly to non-malignant blood conditions, such as clotting disorders, bleeding disorders, anemias, and thrombocytopenias [1]. Academic centers often create separate departments for Benign Hematology and Oncology; however, community oncologists frequently treat both malignant and benign blood disorders. Community oncologists informed us that patients with benign blood disorders are some of their trickiest and most ambiguous cases. In response, we added three benign hematologists to consult with community oncologists:
Why did we add Myelodysplastic Syndromes?
Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous collection of conditions where the structure and maturation of bone marrow cells are abnormal, resulting in impaired blood cell production. This group of disorders is largely considered to be pre-malignant, with some subtypes of this disease transforming into AML [2].
Given the heterogeneity of MDS, Primum’s oncologist members requested we include this disease on the platform. We added MDS to our disease search to make it easy for community oncologists to find Primum specialists. Primum currently has two oncologists who can support MDS questions, and we will seek other oncologists to round out our MDS panel:
Primum's continued expansion
The Primum team was pleased by feedback requesting more conditions on our platform. We will continue to listen and add other disease areas to meet the needs of our users. We look forward to deepening our panel of specialists by expanding into solid tumors soon.
Sources
[1] Ma, A., "Benign Hematology Isn't So Benign", ASH Clinical News Editor's Corner, July 2015
[2] Besa, E. and Nagalla, S., "Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)", Medscape, Updated: July 5, 2022