Medical Oncology

Medical Oncology at Wellstar

At Wellstar, a medical oncologist serves as a person’s primary cancer physician, who is part of each patient’s multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists. We collaborate to build the right care plan for you, which may include cancer drugs, surgery, radiation or a combination of treatments for the most effective outcomes.

We have the latest in genetically based targeted therapies, immunotherapy and chemotherapy to fight various types of cancer. Patients who qualify have access to new or experimental treatments before they are commercially available through clinical trials at select locations. Our patients participate in some of the best clinical trials in Atlanta because of our researchers' reputations and the caliber of our program.

As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, oncologists at Wellstar can request detailed eConsults — virtual second opinions — at no additional cost to patients.

Biomarker testing & targeted therapies

Oncologists at Wellstar are proficient in biomarker testing, which is the hallmark of personalized medicine. Several drugs have been developed which target specific genetic abnormalities in the cancer's DNA. Biomarker tests may determine whether one of these targeted therapies might be effective. These tests can be run with samples obtained from blood, body fluid or tissue.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is based on the concept that a patient’s own immune system can fight their cancer. When given, immunotherapy drugs wake up the patient’s own immune system to see and fight the cancer. Most recently, the Wellstar Research Institute and Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers have participated in clinical trials that have led to the approval of immunotherapy for breast cancer, gynecologic cancers, lung cancer and kidney cancer.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the cancer treatment that has been around the longest. It includes a number of medications—both oral and intravenous—that affect the cancer cell DNA and its ability to divide and grow. Newer chemotherapies have been developed with fewer side effects and newer cancer support drugs—such as anti-nausea medicines—that have improved the chemotherapy experience for patients.