Cancer Drug Therapy

There are many different types of cancer drugs and ways to use them to treat cancer patients. Some drugs, such as chemotherapy, are designed specifically to kill cancer cells. While targeted therapy may use cancer drugs to kill cancer cells or to turn off the process in cancer cells that causes them to grow and divide (targeted therapy). Another treatment, called hormone therapy uses drugs to block or change the way that hormones work to fight cancer cells.

Chemotherapy involves the use of medicine to treat cancer. More than half of all people diagnosed with cancer receive chemotherapy, as it may be a potential treatment option for most forms of cancer. The thought of having chemotherapy may be frightening, but for millions of people, this approach is effective and gets them back to enjoying full, productive lives. Many side effects once associated with chemotherapy can now be prevented or controlled, allowing people to go on with their normal activities during treatment. Chemotherapy may be administered intravenously, injected into a body cavity, or delivered orally in the form of a pill.

At Northside Hospital Infusion Centers, chemotherapy is dispensed on an outpatient basis by registered nurses (RNs) certified in chemotherapy administration, who also provide ongoing physical assessments.

Hormone Therapy - When cancer arises in areas of the body such as the breast or prostate, its growth may be caused by hormones. Hormones stimulate the growth of hormone sensitive tissues, and drugs that block or change the way hormones work can fight some cancers. Removal of organs that secrete hormones, such as the ovaries or testicles, may also prove as effective treatment for hormone-stimulated cancers.

Targeted therapies are designed to only treat the cancer cells, and therefore, minimize damage to normal, healthy cells. In order to become cancer cells, healthy cells must go through a process called carcinogenosis. Targeted cancer therapy disrupts this process and the cellular changes necessary for development and growth.

Infusion Centers
The Northside Hospital Cancer Institute (NHCI) provides access to cancer care throughout Georgia. Through our affiliation with Atlanta Cancer Care (ACC), Georgia Cancer Specialists (GCS), Northeast Georgia Diagnostic Clinic (NGDC), and Suburban Hematology-Oncology Associates (SHOA), Northside's Infusion Centers are located in your community, close to home.