Medical oncology
Medical oncology is a branch of medicine that cares for patients with cancer. A medical oncologist is a specialist doctor who uses chemotherapy and other medications to manage cancer. These medications aim to kill cancer cells, prevent cancer from recurring, or control the cancer to reduce its symptoms.
Cancer management
Treating cancer is extremely complex. It often involves a team of medical specialists working together to design the best course of action based on the latest scientific evidence. As the exact nature of the cancer varies from person to person, your treatment plan is personalised to your specific condition. It may involve one or more forms of treatment and it is highly likely that you will consult with a surgeon, a medical oncologist and perhaps a radiation oncologist. Your specialist doctors will explain why a certain treatment approach is being recommended and what it involves. It’s important to ask questions, particularly if there is something you don’t quite understand or are unsure about. Having a friend, family member or carer accompany you to your appointments can also be helpful as there is usually a lot of information to take in.
Treating cancer with medicines
When you think of medicines to treat cancer, the word ‘chemotherapy’ or ‘chemo’ probably springs to mind. Chemotherapy is generally associated with cancer killing drugs that are injected into a vein (called an intravenous infusion), but some chemotherapy medications can also be given as oral tablets.
Chemotherapy may be offered as a stand-alone treatment for cancer, or as part of a combined approach together with surgery and/or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy can also be used to help control cancer when a cure may not be possible.
Many different medications exist to treat cancer. Some work across multiple cancer types, whereas others are far more specific and may only be effective for one type of cancer.
Chemotherapy
Traditional or standard chemotherapy works by disrupting the cell cycle. Each time a new cell forms it goes through a series of phases in order to become mature. Traditional chemotherapy drugs target the different phases of the cell cycle. By disrupting or stopping a particular phase, a cancerous cell can no longer mature and divide and ultimately dies.
Find out more on chemotherapy
Find out more about chemotherapy, including how it works and who it’s for.
Find out moreHormone therapy
Some cancers make use of your body’s own hormones to grow and multiply. These cancers are known as ‘hormone dependent’ cancers and include some types of breast, uterine and prostate cancers. Hormone therapy uses drugs to block the body’s own hormones, e.g. testosterone in men and oestrogen in women. By stopping or lowering the amount of hormones the tumour receives, the growth of the cancer can be slowed.
Immunotherapy
Your immune system is designed to protect your body from threats such as infections, toxins and abnormal cell development (cancer). Your immune system usually prevents cancers from occurring, but sometimes it is not strong enough to combat abnormal cell growth. Immunotherapy drugs boost or improve how your own body’s immune system works to fight cancer. Immunotherapy drugs work in different ways and include:
- Checkpoint inhibitors: These drugs take the ‘brakes’ off the immune system, which helps it to then recognise and attack cancer cells. e.g. pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, ipilimumab.
- Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy: T-cells from a patient’s blood are mixed with a special virus that makes the T-cells learn how to attach to tumour cells. These cells are then given back to the patient so they can find, attach to, and kill the cancer.
- Cytokines: Cytokines are small proteins that carry messages between cells. They are used to stimulate the immune cells to attack cancer. e.g. interferon and interleukin.
- Immunomodulators: Boost parts of the immune system to treat certain types of cancer. e.g. thalidomide, lenalidomide.
- Cancer vaccines: Vaccines are being researched and developed with the aim of preventing or treating cancer through an immune response. Sipuleucel-T is a vaccine that has been approved for advanced prostate cancer.
- Oncolytic viruses: Research into how viruses may be used to kill cancer is ongoing. By modifying viruses in the laboratory, it is hoped that they will be able to target, infect and kill certain cancerous cells.
Targeted therapies
Targeted therapies do not work in the same way as traditional chemotherapy even though they are technically considered to be a form of chemotherapy. As the name suggests, targeted therapies work by finding a specific target on cancerous cells that they can attack or block to stop the cells from making new cancer cells. If your cancer type is known to have a target, it will be tested at the time of your biopsy or surgery to see if the target is present. Assuming it is, a targeted therapy may form part of your treatment plan. As these drugs have a targeted action to the cancer cell, the damage to normal cells is usually reduced, but this does not mean that targeted therapies are free of side-effects.
Some types of targeted therapies include but are not limited to:
- Angiogenesis inhibitors: Block the formation of new blood vessels to the tumour so that the tumour is deprived of nutrients. e.g. bevacizumab.
- Monoclonal antibodies: Deliver molecules to the target on the cancer cell which then interfere with the cell’s ability to signal and divide. e.g. trastuzumab, pertuzumab, cetuximab, alemtuzumab.
- Signal transduction inhibitors: Block the signals passed from one molecule to another inside a cell. By blocking the signals, the cell cannot function properly and its ability to divide is affected. e.g. lapatinib, gefitinib, erlotinib, sunitinib, sorafenib.
Search for a centre near you
Regional Cancer Centre, Corner of Borella Road and East Street, East Albury, VIC, 2640
(02) 6043 7800
3056 Albany Hwy, Suite 10, Armadale Hospital Specialist Centre, Armadale WA 6112
(08) 9391 1234
Cardiac Investigations Unit, Bundaberg Base Hospital, Bourbong Street, Bundaberg West, QLD, 4670
(07) 4199 7300
St John Of God Berwick Specialist Centre, 55 Kangan Drive, Berwick VIC 3806, Australia
(03) 8794 2700
Suite 16, Buderim Private Hospital, 12 Elsa Wilson Drive, Buderim QLD 4556
(07) 5478 4829
Buderim Private Hospital, 12 Elsa Wilson Drive, Buderim QLD 4556
1800 155 225
Suite 21, St John of God Hospital, Southwest Health Campus, Corner of Roberston Drive & Bussell Highway, WA, 6230
(08) 9720 3400
South West Health Campus, Corner of Bussell Hwy & Roberston Drive, Bunbury, WA 6230
(08) 9726 6400
Suite 21, St John of God Hospital, Southwest Health Campus, (Cnr Robertson Drive & Bussell Hwy), Bunbury WA 6230
(08) 9720 3403
Bundaberg, Mater Hospital (Oncology), 313 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg, QLD, 4670
(07) 4154 9900
Suite 3, Entrance 1, 72 Barolin Street, Bundaberg, QLD 4670
(07) 4199 7080
Mater Misericordiae Hospital, 313 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg West, QLD, 4670
(07) 4199 7080
Health and Wellness Centre Level 1, Suites 8-10, 20 Scholar Drive, Bundoora VIC 3083
(03) 8467 5900
Cabrini Hospital Malvern, Level B4, Gandel Wing, 183 Wattletree Road, Malvern, VIC 3144
(03) 9597 6900
Calvary Central Districts Hospital, Jarvis Road, Elizabeth Vale SA 5112, Australia
(08) 7285 6400
Chermside Medical Complex, Lower Ground Floor, 956 Gympie Road, Chermside Brisbane, QLD, 4032
(07) 3917 4400
Oriel Place, Suite 3, Level 1 531 Sandgate Road Clayfield QLD 4011
(07) 3648 2500
Cockburn Health & Community Centre, Level 1, Suite 11, 11 Wentworth Parade, Success WA 6164
(08) 6332 2300
Cockburn Health & Community Centre, Level 1, Suite 11, 11 Wentworth Parade, Success WA 6164
(08) 9233 5200
Denmark Health Service, 50 Scotsdale Road, Denmark WA, Australia
(08) 9480 3000
Central Highlands Healthcare Ltd. Trading as Emerald Medical Group Lot 1, Pilot Farm Road, Emerald QLD 4720
(07) 3858 8690
Epping Medical Centre, Ground Floor, 230 Cooper Street, Epping, VIC, 3076
(03) 9409 8000
Department of Radiation Oncology Cancer Centre, Lower Ground Floor 102-118 Murdoch Drive, Murdoch WA 6150
1300 977 062
Flinders Private Hospital, Level 2, 1 Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, SA 5042
(08) 8179 5500
Suite 3, Level 1, Building 1, 49 Frenchs Forest Road, Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
(02) 8030 6700
Floor 1, 19-23 Bingera Street, Bundaberg QLD 4670
(07) 4199 7300
Mater Hospital (Outpatients Department), 50 Rosella Street, Gladstone, QLD, 4680
(07) 3858 8690
Mater Misericordiae Hospital, 50 Rosella St, Gladstone QLD 4680
(07) 4199 7080
Ramsay Specialist Centre Suite 212, Level 2 Newdegate Street, Greenslopes, QLD, 4120
(07) 3255 7200
Gympie Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, 74 - 76 Channon Street, Gympie QLD 4570
(07) 5390 3700
Warringal Private Hospital, Suite 1, 216 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg VIC 3084
(03) 9455 4800
Corner of Nissen Street & Urraween Road, Urraween QLD 4655
(07) 4303 4351
Hollywood Consulting Centre, Hollywood Private Hospital, Entrance 5, Unit 1, 91 Monash Avenue, Nedlands WA 6009
Hollywood Private Hospital, Diagnostic Nuclear Imaging, Monash Ave, Nedlands WA 6009
(08) 9438 8500
Waratah Private Hospital, Level 6, 31 Dora Street, Hurstville, NSW, 2220
(02) 8568 7600
Jimboomba Medical Centre Shop 14, Jimboomba Shopping Centre Mt Lindesay Highway Jimboomba, Qld, 4280
(07) 3255 7200
Nuclear Medicine & Therapy Centre, 42 Inland Drive, Tugun QLD 4224
(08) 9438 8500
John Flynn Private Hospital, 42 Inland Drive, Tugun QLD 4224
Level 3, Shenton House, 57 Shenton Avenue, Joondalup, WA 6027
(08) 9400 6161
Shenton House, Level 3, 57 Shenton Avenue, Joondalup, WA 6027
1300 977 062
Level 2 & 3, 57 Shenton Avenue, Joondalup WA 6027
(08) 9233 5200
Kalamunda Specialist Centre, 37 Elizabeth Street, Kalamunda, WA
(08) 9480 3000
Karratha Health Campus Outpatients Department 62 Balmoral Road KARRATHA WA 6714
(08) 9144 7777
Lady Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital (formerly South Burnett Private Hospital), 31 Markwell Street, Kingaroy QLD 4610
(07) 3858 8690
Suite 1, Tennyson Centre, 520 South Road, Kurralta Park, SA 5037
(08) 8375 3200
Langwarrin Suite 2, 35 Cranbourne-Frankston Road, Langwarrin VIC 3910
(03) 8769 5800
Lilydale Private Consulting Suites, 475 Swansea Rd, Lilydale VIC 3140
(03) 9735 4288
Hospital Building, Suite 1, Level B2, 3 Technology Place, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109
(02) 9812 3220
17 Farrelly Street, Margaret River WA, Australia
(08) 9720 3400
Margaret River Surgery, 1 Station Road, Margaret River WA, Australia
(08) 9720 3400
Margaret River Surgery, 1 Station Road, Margaret River WA, Australia
(08) 9720 3400
St Stephen's Medical Centre Suite 2, 166 John Street Maryborough QLD 4650
(07) 4303 4300
Mater Private Clinic Suite 5.02 & 5.11, Level 5 550 Stanley Street South Brisbane QLD 4101
(07) 3360 7100
The Mater Hospital, 25 Rocklands road, North Sydney, NSW
(02)9458 8050
Midland Medical Specialist Care, 23 The Crescent, Midland, WA 6056
(08) 9480 3000
Mount Ommaney Medical Centre Shop 6/171 Dandenong Road Mt Ommaney QLD 4074
(07) 3725 3900
Mulgrave Private Hospital, Churchill Consulting Suites, Blanton Drive, Mulgrave VIC 3170
(03) 8793 3800
St John of God Wexford Medical Centre, Level 4, Suite 68-72, 3 Barry Marshall Parade, Murdoch, WA 6150
(08) 6332 2300
Suite 59, SJOG Medical Centre Barry Marshall ParadeMurdoch WA 6150
Suite 5-7, SJOG Medical Centre, 100 Murdoch Drive, Murdoch WA 6150
(08) 9233 5200
Suite 20/21 Hollywood Medical Centre, 85 Monash Avenue, Nedlands WA
(08) 6389 9100
Lake Macquarie Private Hospital, 36 Pacific Highway, Gateshead, NSW, 2290
(02) 4918 4500
Lake Imaging Specialist and Research Centre, 14-20 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
(03) 9813 7950
St Andrew’s Hospital, North Street, Spring Hill, QLD, 4000
(07) 3832 1717
Lakeside Square Medical Precinct, Level 2, 2-9 Village Way, Pakenham VIC 3810
(03) 8793 3800
Melbourne Private Hospital, Private Medical Centre, Level 4, Suite 22, Royal Parade, Parkville VIC 3052
(03) 9813 7950
Suite 3 Mount Medical Centre, Level 3, 140 Mounts Bay Road, Perth WA 6000
(08) 9233 5200
Pindara Specialist Suites Suite 4.07, Level 4, 29 Carrara Street, Benowa QLD 4214
Pindara Private Hospital, Allchurch Avenue, Benowa QLD 4217
Hedland Health Campus, Outpatient Department, Port Hedland WA 6721
(08) 9174 1380
Pulse Oceanside Medical, Suite 402, 11 Eccles Boulevard, Birtinya, QLD 4575
(07) 5322 5900
Ringwood Private Hospital, 36 Mount Dandenong Road, Ringwood East VIC 3135
(03) 8870 3300
RiverCity Private Hospital, Level 4, 401 Milton Road, Auchenflower, QLD, 4066
Mater Hospital (Outpatients Department) 31 Ward Street Rockhampton QLD 4700
(07) 3858 8690
Rockhampton Hospital, Lower Ground Floor, Canning Street, Rockhampton, QLD, 4700
(07) 4932 5000
Elanora Dr, Rockingham General Hospital, Cooloongup WA 6168
Priority Health Orion Shopping Centre, 1st Floor, 1 Main Street, Springfield QLD 4300
(07) 3858 8690
St Andrew's Hospital, 352 South Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000
(08) 8228 6700
St Andrew's Medical Centre Clinic, Level 2. 321 South Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000
(08) 8202 6644
St Andrew's Hospital Toowoomba, 280 North Street, Toowoomba, QLD 4350
Level 1, Suite 10, Sara Stella Medical Centre, St Stephen's Private Hospital, 1 Medical Place, Urraween QLD 4655
(07) 4303 4300
Level A, 438 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010
(02) 8302 5400
St Vincent's Hospital, Basement Level, Building C, 41 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065
(03) 9427 6500
St Vincent's Private Hospital, Toowoomba, Scott Street, Toowoomba City QLD 4350
(07) 3858 8600
St Vincent's Private Hospital, Scott Street, Toowoomba, QLD 4350
Suites 14 & 15, Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital, 3 Doherty Street, Birtinya QLD 4575
(07) 5390 3700
Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital Suite 20/3 Doherty St, Birtinya QLD, 4575
(07) 5437 9788
Union Road Specialists Centre, 203 Union Road, Surrey Hills VIC 3127
(03) 9813 7900
Level 5, Suite 91 Sandford Jackson Building 30 Chasely Street Auchenflower QLD 4066
(07) 3858 8650
The Wesley Hospital, Auchenflower, QLD, 4066
1800 155 225
The Wesley Medical Centre, 1/40 Chasely St Auchenflower, Brisbane, QLD, 4066
Westside Private Hospital, Suite 309, Level 3, 32 Morrow Street, Taringa, QLD, 4068
(07) 3022 7850
Whittlesea Specialist Centre, 79-81 Church Street, Whittlesea VIC 3757
(03) 8467 5900
Royal Street Specialist Centre, Cnr Royal Street & Wanneroo Road, Yokine, WA 6060
0894803000
Royal Street Specialist Centre, Cnr Royal Street & Wanneroo Rd, Yokine WA 6060
(08) 9233 5200
Read next
Our centres
Designing the best possible care for people with cancer and heart disease across Australia, the UK and Spain....
Our doctors
GenesisCare attracts and retains some of the most experienced doctors in the country. We have an unwavering focus...