Medical Oncology

Used to treat a broad range of cancer types, chemotherapy relies on medicines or drugs to reduce the size of malignant tumors and destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be prescribed by itself or in combination with other therapies to cure cancer, stop it from growing, or prevent it from returning.

Chemotherapy can be administered in various forms including orally, intravenously, topically and through injection. How often you'll receive chemotherapy depends on factors such as the type of cancer, how advanced it is, and how your body responds to it.

This type of therapy targets hormones that circulate throughout the body. In cancers that need hormones to grow, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, medications can sometimes be used to block, alter or stop their production. Hormone therapy can be used alone or in combination with other therapies to treat cancer or reduce the symptoms.

Hormone therapy can be delivered orally or by injection. Sometimes surgery is recommended to remove organs that produce hormones (ovaries in women or testicles in men).

Immunotherapy is a biological therapy that enhances your immune system’s ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. Some biological therapies are designed to target and attack specific cancer cells, while others may be used to reduce symptoms from other types of cancer treatment.

Immunotherapy can be administered in several ways — orally, intravenously or through injection. Side effects are usually short-lived and tend to subside after treatment.