Medical oncology, also known as systemic treatment (or general treatment because it predominantly affects the whole body and not a specific organ), is used to treat cancer with drugs (systemic treatments). These treatments can be administered as neoadjuvant (before surgery), adjuvant (after surgery) or palliative (for relief care) therapy and are combined with oncological surgery or radiotherapy, depending on the type of cancer.
The drugs (cytostatic/cytotoxic) which are administered to the patient (oral or IV injection) block the growth of cells and destroy them.
Is a type of cancer treatment that slows or stops the activity/production of hormones that stimulate the growth of cancer (only used to treat ‘hormone-dependent’ or ‘hormone-sensitive’ tumours)-
Does not specifically target the tumour, but is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to boost or activate the body’s own natural defences to fight cancer (immune response).
Are a group of drugs that selectively intervene in certain tumour cellular processes to block tumour growth or slow its metabolism
Through regular monitoring, medical oncologists will not only check that the treatment is progressing smoothly, but will also be able to manage any side effects that the patient may experience, both during and after treatment.
