Medical Oncology
A medical oncologist is a physician who specializes in the treatment of cancer. Your medical oncologist will review your medical history, conduct physical exams and order diagnostic tests to determine your exact diagnosis, including the stage of your cancer.
Your medical oncologist will work with you to customize your cancer treatment plan, and may refer you to a surgeon, radiation oncologist or any other specialist you need. This specialist will also manage any side effects you experience.
Chemotherapy, also known as medical oncology or hematology, uses chemicals to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with surgery to destroy surrounding tissue after a tumor is removed.
When you receive an IV chemotherapy treatment at the cancer center, you receive more than medication. Patients are able to interact among others and share emotions, common interests and life experiences. Patients encourage, support and applaud one another.
Depending upon the recommended treatment, chemotherapy infusion may take from 20 minutes to several hours. Treatment may be needed daily, weekly or monthly. Treatment occurs on an outpatient basis in most cases but is also available on an inpatient basis.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy may also be used as part of your treatment plan. Hormones can kill cancer cells, or slow or stop their growth. Physicians can prescribe medications that affect the activity or production of hormones, or may surgically remove a gland that produces hormones.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is treatment that uses certain parts of a person’s immune system to fight diseases such as cancer. This can be done in a couple of ways – by stimulating your own immune system to work harder or smarter to attack cancer cells or by giving you immune system components, such as man-made immune system proteins. Some types of immunotherapy are also sometimes called biologic therapy or biotherapy. Immunotherapy works better for some types of cancer than for others. It’s used by itself for some of these cancers, but for others it seems to work better when used with other types of treatment.