Get the best cancer treatment in India from experienced cancer doctors and world-class infrastructure at Tender Palm Hospital Hospitals.

Medical Oncology has evolved over time with comprehensive cancer care. Today’s cancer treatment encompasses a multi-disciplinary approach to all types of cancer—be it solid tumors or blood cancer.

Medical Oncology is concerned with…

Cancer Screening: Breast cancer, Colon cancer, Cervical cancer, Prostate cancer
The diagnosis of any cancer
Therapy (e.g. Chemotherapy, Hormonal therapy, Immunotherapy, and Monoclonal antibodies)
Follow-up of cancer patients after successful treatment
Palliative care of patients with terminal malignancies
Pain management

The aim of cancer treatment is…

1. The aim of cancer treatment is to relieve symptoms, cure the patient, and prolong or save life. When cancer is detected early, treatment is very effective and patients are usually cured.

2. In patients with advanced stage cancer, complete cure may not be possible. Its treatment aims to control the disease, improve quality of life, and keep the patient normal and comfortable as long as possible. The treatment of each patient is designed to suit the individual and depends on factors like age, general condition, type of cancer, and stage of disease.

3. Surgery and radiotherapy can eradicate the disease from the primary site (site of origin) of cancer. Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and immunotherapy are useful for disease that may have spread outside the site of origin of cancer.

The main modalities of treatment for cancer are…

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with one or more cytotoxic anti-neoplastic drugs (chemotherapeutic agents) as part of a standardized regimen. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent or to prolong life or palliate symptoms. It is often used alongside other cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, surgery, and/or hyperthermia therapy.

By medical oncology, we mean the treatment of cancer with chemotherapeutic drugs. Chemotherapy reaffirms the efficacy of surgery if the cancer is detected early. Chemotherapy improves quality of life and prolongs survival in advanced or end-stage cancers. In conditions like Lymphoma, Leukemia, and Germ Cell tumors, chemotherapy plays a curative role.

Our experienced and empathetic chemo nurses use the latest chemo delivery devices to make treatment easier. This helps patients complete planned drug cycles and prepares them for the next line of treatment, putting them on the path to recovery. The drugs are prepared under an infection-free Laminar Hood which maintains effectiveness. Chemotherapy can be administered on a day-care basis.

Traditional chemotherapeutic agents kill cells that divide rapidly, a characteristic of most cancer cells. However, chemotherapy also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances, such as those in the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles.

Some chemotherapeutic agents are also used to treat other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus erythematosus.

Chemotherapy can cause side effects in the digestive tract, hair follicles, etc. Common side effects include decreased blood cell production (myelosuppression and resultant immunosuppression), inflammation of the digestive tract lining (mucositis), and hair loss (alopecia).

Chemotherapy may use one drug at a time (single-agent chemotherapy) or several drugs at once (combination chemotherapy or polychemotherapy). Combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy is called chemo-radiotherapy. Chemotherapy using drugs that exert cytotoxic activity only upon light exposure is called photo-chemotherapy or photodynamic therapy.

Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy has limited use in cancer treatment since only a minority of tumors are hormone-sensitive, e.g., breast and prostate cancer. This therapy provides a systemic treatment for the whole body, but without the side effects of chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy stimulates the body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells. However, it is expensive.

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are used to specifically target cells. The main objectives are stimulating the patient’s immune system to attack malignant tumor cells and preventing tumor growth by blocking specific cell receptors.