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Medical Oncology Treatment Overview

Your care team will work with you to create a personalized course of treatment. Medical oncology is the use of medications to treat cancer inside the body. These treatments are considered systemic treatments because they affect cancer cells throughout the body.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses medicines or drugs to destroy or control the growth of cancer cells. It works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer and may be used alone or in combination with other cancer drugs or treatments.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy therapy helps your immune system to fight cancer. It works by boosting or changing how the immune system works so that it can find and attack cancer cells. Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy. Biological therapy is a type of treatment that uses substances made from living organisms to treat cancer.

Hormone Therapy

Hormones are naturally occurring substances in our bodies that stimulate the growth of hormone-sensitive tissues, such as the prostate gland or breast. When cancer arises in these tissues, hormones can influence its growth. Hormonal therapy is used to stop hormone production which can slow or stop the growth of the cancer. Hormone therapy is also called hormonal therapy, hormone treatment, or endocrine therapy.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that targets proteins that control how cancer cells grow, divide, and spread. As researchers learn more about the DNA changes and proteins that drive cancer, they are better able to design treatments that target these proteins. 

The most common ways to receive medical oncology treatments are:

  • Through IV (infusion) therapy in our Infusion Suite
  • Orally in the form of pills or a liquid
  • By injection
Your care team will work together with you and your caregivers to determine the best treatment plan for your diagnosis, overall health and personal preferences. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your care team.