medical oncology

Oncology is the study of cancer, overseen by specialists known as oncologists. Medical oncology involves treating cancer using drugs and agents that circulate throughout the body, aiming to destroy cancer cells and bolster the body's defense mechanisms. This branch of oncology employs systemic treatment approaches like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, target therapy, and hormonal therapy, all geared toward managing cancer more effectively.

Targeted therapy employs drugs to disrupt specific signaling pathways in cancer cells, inhibiting their growth without harming healthy tissues. This precise treatment approach targets cellular and molecular changes unique to cancer, offering effective therapy while minimizing side effects.

Hematology is a medical specialty focused on studying and treating blood diseases and disorders affecting blood-forming organs. Treatment tools include stem cell and bone marrow transplants, blood component manipulation, chemotherapy, immunosuppressive drugs, biological therapy, and growth factors. Tests like serum LH, PRL, and TSH aid in diagnosis and management.

• Thrombocytopenia
• Anemia
• Multiple Myeloma
• Leukemias
• Primary Amyloidosis
• Immune Cytopenias
• Porphyria
• Clotting and bleeding disorders
• Myeloproliferative disorders
• Hematologic Malignancies
• Myelofibrosis with Myeloid Metaplasia
• Monoclonal Gammopathies of Undetermined Significance
• Enlarged Lymph Nodes or Spleen
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes
• Lymphoproliferative disorders
• Hypercoagulable States and Platelet Disorders

Chemotherapy is a potent cancer treatment method employing drugs to target and eradicate cancer cells, albeit with potential side effects due to its impact on healthy cells. It is divided into two types: neoadjuvant chemotherapy administered before primary treatment to shrink tumors, and adjuvant chemotherapy given post-surgery or radiation therapy to prevent recurrence. Its primary goals include tumor shrinkage, prevention of recurrence, and halting cancer spread.

Immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy, is a personalized cancer treatment method aimed at stimulating the patient's immune system to combat cancer cells. This unique approach triggers the immune system to recognize, target, and eliminate cancer cells through various immunological mechanisms. It involves administering specialized components to enhance immune cell response against cancer. Different personalized approaches can be employed to reprogram the immune system, offering promising strategies in cancer treatment.

Targeted therapy, a precise form of cancer treatment, involves targeting specific proteins responsible for cancer cell growth. It blocks chemical signals promoting cancer cell proliferation, alters cancer cell proteins to induce cell death, and inhibits new blood vessel formation to disrupt cancer cell nutrient supply. This therapy selectively eliminates cancer cells while sparing healthy ones, enhancing treatment precision.

Hormone therapy targets hormone-dependent or hormone-sensitive cancers by blocking or reducing hormone levels to inhibit cancer cell growth. It is often combined with other treatments like surgery or radiation therapy. Common cancers treated with hormone therapy include breast, prostate, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Examples of hormone therapies include Leuprolide (Lupron) and Anastrozole (Arimidex).

Chemotherapy utilizes various drugs to treat cancer, either before or after surgery. These drugs come in the form of injections or pills. Examples include Nitrosoureas, Alkylating agents, Mitotic inhibitors, Antimetabolites, and Antitumor Antibiotics, each targeting different aspects of cancer cell growth and replication.

Chemotherapy improves patients' quality of life by controlling cancer growth, especially in cancers responsive to the treatment. It also reduces tumor size, facilitating safer surgical removal.

To alleviate side effects of oncology treatment, doctors may prescribe pain relievers, anti-nausea drugs, and medications to manage low white blood cell counts and prevent infections.

Doctors may prescribe medications to alleviate the side effect of oncology drugs, including pain relievers, anti-nausea drugs, and drugs to manage low white blood cell counts and prevent infections, such as pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) or filgrastim (Neupogen).

Oncology drugs offer various benefits depending on the individual and cancer type, including potential for cure, tumor shrinkage, improved treatment outcomes, slower cancer growth, and prevention of metastasis. However, they may also induce side effects, such as fatigue, diarrhea, hair loss, dizziness, mouth sores, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and lowered immunity due to decreased white blood cell counts. Unlike chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy may be safer options as they selectively target cancer cells while sparing healthy ones, though they still carry risks of side effects like rash, cough, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, infusion reactions, and gastrointestinal issues.