Introduction

　　Division of hematology was established in 1951. We have devoted our efforts to the care of hematologic patients and researches of malignant and benign hematologic diseases for more than half a century. We accomplished the first bone marrow transplantation in Taiwan in 1983, and have performed more than a thousand transplantations till now. With the advances of molecular and stem cell biology, we also study the pathophysiology of hematological diseases, and apply it to the treatment of patients. With the outstanding achievement in the past, we will continuously provide comprehensive service to our patients, excellent education to our young doctors and best researches for the hematological field.
 

Service

　　The hematologists in our division attend patients with all hematological disorders including hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma and benign hematologic diseases, such as hemophilia and hemolytic anemia. Clinical service includes out patient clinics for general hematology patients, transplantation patients and patients with hemophilia. There are also transfusion center and chemotherapy room to serve out patients. In patient wards for hematology division include 72 general beds, 2 isolation rooms and 8 beds of blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) unit. Our blood and marrow transplantation unit will expand to totally 14 beds in 2010, in order to deliver our service for more patients in need.
 

Teaching and Education

　　Basic lectures of hematology, hematologic malignancy and laboratory diagnosis of hematologic disorders are regularly delivered to medical students from 4th to 7th grades. Junior residents of internal medicine rotate to general hematology ward in their training course for at least one month and senior residents can electively get advanced training in BMT unit. We design elaborately the clinical teaching program for Interns and Residents including lectures or case discussion every morning, weekly teaching round of chief attending physician, special case discussion on Wednesdays, special lecture or journal reading on Mondays and blood and marrow smear interpretation every Tuesday and Thursday. Senior residents and fellows of hematology are encouraged to join research work and present the results in the meeting of the Hematology Society or write into a paper to be published in international journals.
 

Research

　　There are more and more international clinical trials carried out in our division which provide options of novel therapy for patients. In addition, we have accomplished excellent work in gene mutations, epigenetic alterations and angiogenesis changes of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome and developed techniques to detect minimal residual disease by flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction, which would be impossible by traditional methods. Such techniques provide not only the prognostic implication but also guideline for further treatment plan. Moreover, we are undergoing studies for better risk stratification of patients for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and for finding risk factors of post-transplant complications. With the improvement of understanding stem cell biology, facilities for stem cell research and cell therapy are in construction.