Southern Medical Oncology Center has a knowledgeable and experienced staff to diagnose and treat your cancer and cancer symptoms. A variety of treatment options are available, including lymphedema therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery to remove cancer. Your SMOC physician will work with you to develop a customized treatment plan depending on your type of cancer and its stage of development.

Lymphedema Therapy
Southeastern Medical Oncology Center is now providing lymphedema therapy through a certified Lymphedema Therapist, trained by Klose & Norton Training and Consulting. Lymphedema is a swelling of a body part, most often in the extremities, and affects approximately 1% of the U.S. population. Southeastern Medical Oncology Center utilizes the 5-step Complete Decongestive Physiotherapy (CDP) technique to treat lymphedema. This includes manual lymph drainage, bandaging, skin/nail care, exercise, and education. Patients are usually treated 2 - 4 weeks on a daily basis depending on the severity of the lymphedema. Call us at 1.800.849.0203 to learn more and to schedule an appointment with our Lymphedema Therapist.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy aims to treat cancer or ease the symptoms of cancer through the use of drugs that kill or slow the growth of harmful cancer cells. The length of time that you will receive chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer you are diagnosed with and how your body responds to the drugs used in the therapy.  The drugs can be taken intravenously, intramuscularly, topically by applying it to your skin, or by mouth. Unfortunately, the use of chemotherapy may also destroy healthy cells, which can cause side effects. Some of the most common side effects that you may experience include:

Whether or not an individual experiences side effects depends on the type and amount of chemotherapy received, and how his or her body responds to it.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells, stop them from spreading and reduce the symptoms of cancer. Oftentimes, radiation therapy is used in combination with other types of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and surgery. Unfortunately, radiation therapy may also kill healthy cells, which can cause side effects. Some of the most common side effects of radiation therapy include:

The number of side effects that an individual receives depends on the amount of therapy received and whether or not they are receiving other types of cancer treatment.

Surgery
Surgery is used to repair or remove the body part that contains cancer cells. Surgery may be used to diagnose cancer, treat cancer or reduce the symptoms of cancer. Some of the risks associated with surgery include: