"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Rachel B. Salit, MD

Provider

Rachel B. Salit, MD

Physician, Fred Hutch
Associate Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
Associate Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Hematology-Oncology

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“I believe that medical care is a collaborative relationship.”

— Dr. Salit

What drew you to oncology?

After exploring different career paths in health care, I got a job in an inner-city hospital working for an inpatient team of doctors. Each day, I accompanied them on their busy rounds, taking histories and examining patients. Seeing these patients evolve from sick to well clinched it for me: I decided that providing hands-on medical care was what I wanted to do. Treating patients with cancer is a very intimate experience; you get to know their hopes and desires. To make someone better who has so much to live for — or to support someone who has not achieved a successful cure — is both extremely challenging and deeply rewarding.

What is your approach to care and treatment?

A cancer diagnosis can be traumatic — not only for you, but your whole support system. One of the reasons I became a hematologist-oncologist is that I really get to treat the whole person and not just their disease, so that’s the mindset I bring to our relationship. I aim to provide you with the most thorough information possible about your disease and my best medical opinion about how to move forward. I also value your autonomy and your voice; the ultimate decision about any particular treatment is yours. This philosophy has resulted in many positive long-term relationships with those I am privileged to care for.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Adult blood and marrow transplantation

Blood cancers

I am a hematologist-oncologist who specializes in providing bone marrow and stem cell transplants to adult patients with blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma. I am on the inpatient bone marrow transplant service at the UW Medical Center - Montlake and the outpatient allogeneic transplant service at Fred Hutch, which follows patients for the first 100 days post-transplant. I also frequently see patients through Fred Hutch’s Long-Term Follow-Up Program.

As a member of the Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant (UCBT) research program at Fred Hutch, I study how to improve long-term outcomes for patients who have UCBTs. Umbilical cord blood is abundant in stem cells, and this type of transplant is often used for patients who don’t have a donor with a matching tissue type. I investigate ways to reduce infection, prevent life-threatening post-transplant complications like graft-versus-host disease, decrease relapse and improve quality of life. I am also interested in using cord blood to treat myeloproliferative diseases, a slow-growing group of blood cancers.

Diseases Treated

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Lymphoma

Myelofibrosis

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Languages

English

Education, Experience and Certifications

Undergraduate Degree
Duke University

Medical Degree
Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine

Residency
University of Maryland Medical Center, Internal Medicine

Fellowship
National Institutes of Health, Hematology-Oncology

Board Certification
Hematology, 2011; Oncology, 2010; Internal Medicine, 2007, American Board of Internal Medicine

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Salit

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other physicians and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Salit's Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dietitians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.

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