Treatment Overview

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Cancer care specialists at Merit Health Biloxi provide a range of treatment options that are tailored to meet each patient’s individual needs. Doctors plan treatment by consulting with surgeons, chemotherapy and radiation specialists to develop the most effective approach. In most cases, several approaches are combined to provide treatment.

Merit Health Biloxi provides all levels of care, including inpatient, outpatient and palliative care.

Part of Merit Health Biloxi’s care program includes special support services to address the unique needs of cancer patients and their families. The multidisciplinary team includes primary care doctors, oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, nurses, pain management specialists, dietician and other professionals who work together to provide individualized care.

Treatment options include:

• Chemotherapy
  Also known as medical oncology or hematology, chemotherapy uses chemicals to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells. Surgeons often use chemotherapy in conjunction with surgery to destroy surrounding tissue after a tumor is removed.
• Hormone therapy
  Hormones can kill cancer cells, or slow or stop their growth. Doctors can prescribe medications that affect the activity or production of hormones, or may surgically remove a gland that produces hormones.
• Surgery
  Cancer care teams at Merit Health Biloxi carefully evaluate each patient’s needs to determine whether surgery offers the best chance for success. When surgery presents the best option, doctors utilize minimally invasive techniques whenever possible, which may allow greater precision and may offer patients less scarring and a faster recovery.