Medical Oncology

At St. Peter's Health Partners, we fight cancer on all fronts. Our board-certified medical oncologists use chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and genetic evaluations to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Medical Oncology at St. Peter's Health Partners: Why Choose Us?

Highlights of our nationally recognized cancer care program include:

• Quality standards: St. Peter's Hospital has been named a Comprehensive, Community-based Cancer Care Program by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer® since 1985. This accreditation recognizes our commitment to improving patient outcomes. 
• Range of treatments: We offer a wide variety of treatments, which allows us to choose the best therapies for your needs. Our experts tailor treatment plans to the unique type, stage, behavior and location of every cancer.
• Collaborative team: Medical oncologists work with radiation oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists and pharmacists to customize care for each patient. We collaborate to optimize the sequence and timing of your treatments for best results.
• Care navigation: Experienced nurses and social workers guide you through every phase of the cancer journey. We help you with appointment coordination, insurance coverage, and the emotional and physical challenges of treatment.
• Clinical trials: We participate in ongoing clinical trials for a range of cancers. By participating in a clinical trial, you get access to the latest diagnostic techniques and treatments that may not be available elsewhere.

What Is Medical Oncology?

Medical oncology refers to therapies that use medication to treat cancer. Traditionally, chemotherapy (drugs that kill cancer cells) has been the gold standard for medical oncology. However, innovations have now made it possible to target the unique characteristics of cancer cells, including the ways they form and grow. This highly specialized, targeted approach to treatment can lead to better outcomes. We use medical oncology to treat many types of cancer.

Chemotherapy

We may recommend chemotherapy in combination with other treatments, such as surgery or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy can shrink a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy (neoadjuvant therapy). It can also help kill remaining cancer cells after surgery or radiation therapy (adjuvant therapy). Our medical oncologists have extensive experience choosing the right type of chemotherapy drug for each patient's needs. We offer intravenous (IV) chemotherapy at two state-of-the-art infusion centers in Albany and Troy.

Hormone therapy

Some cancers, such as breast, urologic or gynecologic cancers, need hormones like testosterone, estrogen or progesterone to grow. We identify hormone receptors in the cancer cells and deliver treatments that prevent the tumors from getting the hormones they need. Our medical oncologists may give hormone therapy as a pill or injection.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy drugs activate our immune system, the body's defense system, triggering it to identify and attack cancer cells. We may recommend immunotherapy for many types of cancer, usually combined with surgery or radiation therapy. Immunotherapy is given intravenously and is available at our infusion centers in Troy and Albany.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy, or molecular therapy, attacks the way cancer cells grow. Certain drugs can prevent tumors from multiplying, establishing blood supplies and repairing themselves. Molecular therapy can be given orally, intravenously or as an injection.

Genetic risk evaluation

If you're diagnosed with breast, uterine, ovarian, prostate or another inheritable cancer, we may recommend a genetic risk evaluation and genetic counseling. A team of geneticists analyzes blood or biopsy (tissue) samples to find out if the cancer you have contains a genetic mutation.

This information can help your medical oncologist choose the most effective treatments. A genetic evaluation can also help your family members learn about their risk for certain cancers, giving them options for testing and preventive treatment.