Chemotherapy is often the treatment of choice and is curative in some cancers. The administration of chemotherapy is a coordinated effort. A physician experienced in the use of chemotherapy is responsible for ordering the medications and monitoring patient care. Specially educated and experienced nurses are able to teach patients about their disease and answer many questions regarding treatment, side effects, and methods of chemotherapy. The nurse and pharmacist will check to be certain the chemotherapy drugs do not interact with any other medication the patient may already be taking.
Radiation is an extremely versatile form of treatment.
For some kinds of cancer, radiation alone is enough to destroy the cancer. In some cases, it is used with chemotherapy or when the cancer cannot be reached by surgery. Sometimes, it is used before surgery to shrink a cancer or after surgery to keep the remaining cancer cells from growing again. When a family member is diagnosed as having cancer, the entire family is affected. The counseling and consultation provided by our medical social services representative helps patients and their families deal with often difficult issues at hand.