Medical oncology focuses on treatment of cancer with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormonal therapy. The main resources in this department are medical oncologists whose responsibilities include treating cancer patients by using different treatment modalities like chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. Medical oncologists collaborate with other doctors and team members of the cancer team to formulate a treatment plan best suited to the patient's medical condition and needs.
An individual needs to see a medical oncologist as soon as he is diagnosed with cancer. It is the first step in the journey of cancer treatment. A medical oncologist helps patients understand their diagnosis, discusses the treatment options listing the pros and cons of each and formulates a treatment plan after discussions with the patients and their family members and in collaboration with other members of the oncology team.
Bring any medical records, prescriptions, or investigations you have like imaging test reports, blood test reports, ECG etc. Apart from getting the prescriptions, get the medications you take with you if possible.
Get a family member, a friend, or a close relative you feel comfortable with during your appointments. The oncologist will discuss lots of things about your condition during the appointment and suggest certain ways to improve your health, and they can help by taking notes of all the details and listening in case you forget anything. They can also provide you with mental support during the visit.
Bring a written copy of all your questions and queries that you need information on from the oncologist's side. This will help because there is a chance you might forget some points when you are face to face with the oncologist.
The first oncology appointment can last for a few hours. The oncologist will review your medical history, evaluate all the investigation reports, conduct a complete physical examination, and order some more investigations if needed. The oncologist will also give you a rough evaluation of the treatment cost and duration during the appointment. You will also get to meet other doctors on the team.
The professional experts from the medical oncology department at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai work diligently towards the prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of cancers through advanced technology protocols and using a personalised, multidisciplinary approach. Our medical oncologists have years of experience in treating both solid tumours and haematological disorders while preserving the quality of life both in paediatric and adult patients.
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment modality under medical oncology that uses specialised drugs to locate and kill cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy acts by stopping or hampering the growth of cancer cells. It may give rise to mild to moderate side effects for a short period following treatment. This is because sometimes chemotherapy damages rapidly dividing living cells. Based on its time of administration, chemotherapy is categorised into two types— neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy. When chemotherapy is administered before surgery or radiation therapy, it is called neoadjuvant therapy. When it is administered after therapy or radiation to reduce recurrence rates, it is called adjuvant therapy.
Immunotherapy, also called biological therapy, is a personalised treatment modality which aims at stimulating the body's immune system to attack the cancer cells. Agents used in immunotherapy include monoclonal antibodies, dendritic cells, T-cells, cytokines and immune modulators.
Targeted therapy is a type of personalised cancer treatment under medical oncology. Before starting the targeted therapy, a thorough evaluation of the tumour microenvironment is performed. It helps the oncologists to understand the tumour behaviour so that the treatment can be planned accordingly. As the name suggests, targeted therapy targets certain proteins on the surface of the cancer cells that help them in growth, development, and metastasis.
This therapy uses certain drugs to block various hormones or decrease their levels in the body, stopping the growth of cancer cells or delaying the disease progression. Like other systemic therapies, hormone therapy is used in combination with other treatment modes like surgery or radiation therapy. This helps in boosting the overall effectiveness of the treatment regimen. Hormone therapy is effective against many different cancers like breast, prostate, ovarian, and uterine cancers.
If you are finding the best Medical Oncology hospital in Navi Mumbai, look no more! We at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai provide integrative care while treating different types of cancers. We acknowledge that the treatment of cancer may drastically affect patients, both physically and psychologically. Therefore, during post-treatment follow-ups we not only aim to help the patients physically, but support them emotionally as well. Common side effects such as tiredness, nausea and vomiting, neuropathy, mouth sores and depression are treated with supportive care therapies. Our cancer team consists of the best Medical Oncologists in Navi Mumbai who have years of experience in the field and are specialized in giving the best Medical Oncology treatment in Navi Mumbai.
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