What is Medical Oncology: Everything to Know About!

Oncology

What is Medical Oncology: Everything to Know About!

admin Apr 26, 2024

Origins and Scope of Medical Oncology

Medical Oncology represents a relatively young but rapidly advancing branch within oncology. Originating in the early 1980s, the super-specialty course of Medical Oncology encompasses the comprehensive care journey of cancer patients. From the onset of symptoms prompting their visit to an oncologist, through diagnosis via biopsy and staging—determining whether the cancer is early-stage, locally advanced, metastatic, or stage 4—medical oncologists oversee the entirety of the patient's trajectory.

Divisions within Medical Oncology

The field of Medical Oncology is broadly divided into two main areas: solid tumors such as lung cancer, breast cancer, and brain cancer, and hematological(Blood) cancers , encompassing leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Consequently, Medical Oncology addresses a spectrum of conditions, including both solid and liquid cancers.

Training and Expertise of Medical Oncologists

While each medical oncologist may have their own specialized focus, training typically covers the entire spectrum of cancers. This includes not only diagnostics and treatment journeys but also the administration of various therapeutic modalities. These treatments range from traditional chemotherapy and biologic therapies, also known as targeted therapies, which pinpoint specific tumor markers, to hormonal therapies tailored for hormone-driven cancers like prostate and breast cancer. Additionally, immunotherapy, which modifies the body's immune response to combat cancer, plays a significant role in treatment. Medical Oncology also encompasses transplant procedures, such as autologous transplants, sibling-matched transplants, unrelated donor transplants, and partially matched transplants.

Emerging Therapies in Medical Oncology

A cutting-edge therapy emerging in the field is CAR T-cell therapy, which stands for chimeric antigen receptor T-cells. This innovative approach involves modifying a patient's immune cells genetically to enhance their ability to fight cancer. While currently established for hematological cancers, particularly B-cell types, CAR T-cell therapy is increasingly being explored as a treatment option for solid cancers as well, signifying promising advancements in the field of Medical Oncology.