Hematology & Oncology

The Highland Medical Oncologists specialize in the care of patients with all types of cancer, including cancers of the: 

• Breast
• Brain
• Head and neck
• Gastrointestinal tract, including colon, rectum, pancreas, stomach, esophagus and liver
• Genitourinary tract, including prostate, ovaries, uterus, kidney, bladder, cervix and testicles
• Leukemia
• Lung
• Lymphoma
• Melanoma
• Myeloma 

Many cancers can be successfully treated close to home. However, some situations require interventions at large academic medical centers, such as bone marrow transplant or complex liver, pancreatic or esophageal surgeries. Highland Medical physicians work closely with academic medical centers and collaborate with their physicians to coordinate any necessary referrals. 

Treatment and Services

• Chemotherapy These drugs are given either intravenously or by mouth, and go throughout the person’s body to destroy cancer cells.
• Hormone Therapy Some cancers rely on hormones such as estrogen, progesterone or testosterone to survive and grow. These drugs help starve certain cancers of hormones.
• Targeted Therapy Research has yielded new targets within cancer cells that can be attacked with targeted therapy drugs, which work by zeroing in on the cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy cells.
• Immune Therapy Cancer cells have ways to hide from the immune system, which normally help to suppress them. Immunotherapy drugs help unmask these cancer cells and stimulate the immune system to attack them.
• Clinical Trial Therapies/Cancer Research Studies Research and comparisons of old treatments against new ones drive the standard of cancer care. There are many promising cancer treatments that are still in the experimental stages and available only through participating in a cancer research study. By enrolling in a clinical trial, which adheres to strict federal regulations, patients gain access to breakthrough therapies while advancing the field of cancer research for future patients. To locate a clinical trial visit cancer.org/clinicaltrials.
• Supportive/Palliative Care Only/Hospice Some patients with advanced cancer may not be candidates for or do not want any of the above therapies, and instead prefer to focus on treating their symptoms with pain medication, oxygen and/or anti-anxiety medications.
• Observation Sometimes there is no therapy that has been shown to improve the cure rate of a cancer or the side effects of treatment outweigh the benefit of the treatment an1d in such situations observation may be the best approach.