Medical oncologists are part of the Colorectal Cancer team who treat colon, rectal, small intestinal and anal cancers. With their surgical and radiation oncology colleagues, they evaluate patients to determine the best course of treatment and meet regularly with the team to monitor the patient's progress. Medical oncology treatment is administered by oral medication or chemotherapy. If the care plan calls for immunotherapy, medical oncologists manage that part of treatment as well.
Led by best-in-field doctors, this part of the team also includes nurse practitioners, chemotherapy-certified oncology nurses, and nurse navigators trained in oncology. Patients receive their chemotherapy or infusion treatments on Level 6 of the outpatient Cancer Center on Lauterbur Drive.
Immunotherapy
The body’s immune system is responsible for fighting off infection. Immunotherapy is a form of medical treatment that activates the immune system to help fight cancer. The treatments come from a variety of living cells, which can be yeast, bacteria, plant or animal cells. They are large proteins that are injected into patients either to provide proteins they no longer have, or to help treat specific diseases. These agents are always injected, because the human digestive tract would destroy them if taken by mouth.