[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/progress-fight-leukemia-therapeutic-advances-available-right-now-right-nj-conversation-rccas-dr-seth-howard-berk\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/progress-fight-leukemia-therapeutic-advances-available-right-now-right-nj-conversation-rccas-dr-seth-howard-berk\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/progress-fight-leukemia-therapeutic-advances-available-right-now-right-nj-conversation-rccas-dr-seth-howard-berk\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/progress-fight-leukemia-therapeutic-advances-available-right-now-right-nj-conversation-rccas-dr-seth-howard-berk\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/progress-fight-leukemia-therapeutic-advances-available-right-now-right-nj-conversation-rccas-dr-seth-howard-berk\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Seth-H-Berk.jpg"}],"headline":"Progress in the Fight Against Leukemia: Therapeutic Advances Available Right Now \u2013 and Right Here in NJ: A Conversation with RCCA\u2019s Dr. Seth Howard Berk","dateModified":"2021-11-11T14:52:03+00:00","datePublished":"2018-05-20T17:09:27+00:00","description":"Dr. Seth Howard Berk discusses therapeutic advances being developed at RCCA","articleBody":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMay 20, 2018\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nWhile innovative therapies have made slow improvements to leukemia incidence and death rates, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) projects there will be more than 62,000 new cases in 2017. Because of this, it\u2019s important to seek the latest and most personalized care available when leukemia is diagnosed to obtain a successful outcome.\nDr. Seth Howard Berk, one of the oncology and hematology specialists at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA) Mount Holly branch in New Jersey, says that the organization is at the forefront of these advancements to provide every leukemia patient \u2013 about 50 cases annually \u2013 with cutting-edge treatments in a community-based setting.\nDetecting leukemia early is often challenging, since certain types of the disease may be present without any symptoms and it\u2019s not a type of cancer that is routinely screened for. There are four main types of leukemia \u2013 Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) \u2013 but all are cancers that affect the blood cells, bone marrow, lymph nodes or some other part of the lymphatic system. In many instances, leukemia is detected during routine blood tests, especially if it\u2019s asymptomatic, and at that point, patients are referred to a specialist, like Dr. Berk, who can run further tests and provide a diagnosis.\nIn other cases, there may be a number of profound signs and symptoms that drive patients to their primary care physician or the hospital, including fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, shortness of breath, fever, enlarged lymph nodes and many more.\nCutting-Edge Leukemia Care At RCCA\nWhen leukemia patients first arrive at RCCA, a treatment regimen is designed and implemented. There are numerous routes to take, from chemotherapy and immunotherapy to stem cell transplants and blood transfusions. Some medications can be taken orally, and others intravenously, explains Dr. Berk. If one treatment plan doesn\u2019t deliver the expected results, other options can be explored.\nParticipation in a clinical trial may also prove beneficial for some patients. While current, conventional treatment plans are largely effective, developing innovations offer another path to successful treatment. Dr. Berk notes that due to the prevalence of leukemia in adults and children, intense research is devoted to uncovering promising new resources.\nIn fact, the incidence rate of leukemia in Burlington County, NJ is higher than both the national and state average, and close to 50% of Burlington County residents will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime \u2013 making the future of cancer care a critically important issue.\nChimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy offers a particularly promising therapeutic advancement. This gene modification technique, Dr. Berk explains, enhances the patient\u2019s existing T-cells through modification and multiplication in a laboratory. The modified cells are then infused back into the patient, where they attack cancer cells and help prevent later occurrences.\nAccording to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, advancements in radiation are also helping increase the overall survival rate. While radiation is meant to damage cancer cells and prevent them from growing, nearby cells are often damaged in the process \u2013 which can result in harmful side effects for the patient. Thanks to current techniques, however, fewer healthy cells are being affected.\nThe abundance of available treatments, drugs and therapies yields more positive outcomes than ever before, but can also be daunting when managing a cancer diagnosis. However, your oncologist will work with you to create a plan that\u2019s targeted to your type of leukemia and refer you to an affiliated university setting to receive the appropriate treatment.\nAt RCCA in Burlington County, you can trust that you\u2019ll receive the care you need. Dr. Berk explains, \u201cThrough our involvement in research collaboration, we\u2019re able to offer cutting-edge therapy.\u201d\nwe are here for you\nFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844-346-7222. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the RCCA location nearest you.\nRELATED ARTICLES\nRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\n\u00a9 2022 Regional Cancer Care Associates. All rights reserved.","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/progress-fight-leukemia-therapeutic-advances-available-right-now-right-nj-conversation-rccas-dr-seth-howard-berk\/"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"LocalBusiness","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Corporate Office 25 Main Street, Suite 601","postalCode":"07601","addressRegion":"NJ","addressLocality":"Hackensack","addressCountry":"USA","name":"Postal Address","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/#PostalAddress"},"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"1024","height":"468","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"contactPoint":[{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Corporate Office Regional Cancer Care Associates 25 Main Street, Suite 601 Hackensack, NJ 07601 info@regionalcancercare.org Phone: (844) 346-7222","name":"Contact Corporate Office","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#CorporateOffice"},{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (201) 510-0922","email":"msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Media Inquiries: Mary Lou Salvemini Regional Cancer Care Associates Phone: (201) 510-0922 Email: msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","name":"Contact Media Inquiries","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#MediaInquiries"}],"areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey"],"additionalType":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Treatment_of_cancer","alternateName":"RCCA","description":"Leaders in Advanced Compassionate Cancer Care. Fight cancer with leading-edge treatments, experienced skill and local caring\/convenience from one of the nation's largest networks of cancer specialists.","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/rgnlcancercare","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regionalcancercareassoc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10059183","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFlVzU4UvZcyXBCe9ZSvAUQ"],"telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Progress in the Fight Against Leukemia: Therapeutic Advances Available Right Now \u2013 and Right Here in NJ: A Conversation with RCCA\u2019s Dr. Seth Howard Berk","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/progress-fight-leukemia-therapeutic-advances-available-right-now-right-nj-conversation-rccas-dr-seth-howard-berk\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]