Medical oncology’s role in treating lung cancer
Medical oncology is part of the treatment plan for most patients with cancer. The doctors in this specialty are called medical oncologists. At Stony Brook Cancer Center, medical oncologists, who are experts in treating lung cancer, are on a multidisciplinary team with their lung cancer physician and healthcare colleagues.
The medical oncologist evaluates the patient’s medical history and diagnosis and determines the best course of treatment with chemotherapy, oral medication or immunotherapy.
Chemotherapy is medicine given either by mouth, an injection, or by an intravenous (IV) line (into a vein). It is designed to destroy cancer cells in the body. When patients have appointments for chemotherapy that is given intravenously, they go to Level 6 in the Outpatient Cancer Center. There are both semi-private and private treatment bays.
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.
Medical oncologists are on the lung cancer multidisciplinary team, along with surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, oncology certified nurse practitioners and nurses, and additional healthcare professionals. The team meets regularly to discuss and collaborate on each patient’s treatment.
To learn more:
- Details about chemotherapy
- Your team for lung cancer care
- Surgery for lung cancer
- Radiation oncology for lung cancer