With Texas Oncology, You Can Fight Cancer

Texas Oncology Physician Search

Texas Oncology is a group of more than 530 physicians focused on treating cancer and blood disorders. No matter where you may live in Texas or Southeastern Oklahoma, we have a physician near you.

When to Call Us

If you develop new symptoms, call Texas Oncology before going to an emergency room (ER) or urgent care clinic, even if it is after hours. We’re here to help and may be able to assist in managing your symptoms without you having to go to the ER. If you can be treated early, we may be able to prevent complications.

Your Texas Oncology Care Team is Available For You

Navigating the many aspects of a cancer diagnosis and treatment can be daunting for patients. The clinical “path” you will walk can include multiple rounds of imaging, blood tests, chemotherapy or other treatments, and difficult side effects. But there’s much more. Living with cancer can be stressful.

Understanding Your Cancer Diagnosis

After learning about a cancer diagnosis, many patients soon realize that all aspects of their lives can be impacted. Family, work, finances, social outlets, self-image, and sexuality are some of the most essential components of who we are. Cancer affects everything about how we see ourselves today and in the future.

Understanding your cancer diagnosis helps to prepare for today’s treatment and tomorrow’s outcome. Whether your diagnosis is simple or complex, you can be prepared to think about and discuss your diagnosis with your physicians, family, and friends. Ask questions and take notes during your appointments. Talk with your doctor about goals for your treatment and discuss expectations for treatment results. Learning about your diagnosis will help you make informed decisions about your cancer, your treatment, and your life beyond cancer.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is the general name for a group of more than 200 diseases where cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all start because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancers can cause serious illness and death. Learn More.

How Does a Normal Cell Become Cancer?

Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person's life, normal cells divide more quickly until the person becomes an adult. After that, cells in most parts of the body divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells and to repair injuries. Learn More.

How is Cancer Diagnosed?

For some, cancer is found through routine screening tests. For many, cancer does not cause problems until it has progressed enough to cause symptoms. Some people notice unusual pain, fatigue, fever, or weight loss. Others experience shortness of breath, drenching night sweats, or develop a suspicious lump. In most cases, cancer is a suspect because of the combination of symptoms that may be brought on by a number of different diseases. Learn More.

Coping with Cancer

A cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming. You may feel shock and disbelief when you first hear the word "cancer" from your doctor. You may find it hard to believe you have cancer because you feel fine. You may be trying to deal with what it means for you and your loved ones. Having cancer is not easy, and coping with it takes a lot of energy, strength, and perseverance from you and those who care about you.

Your Treatment and Your Role in Treatment Options

It is important for you to be aware of changes in your body that may be related to your cancer. Stay alert to aches and pains, changes in your body functions, or changes in your appearance. Make notes of these symptoms, then discuss them promptly with your care team.

Treatment Options

Your cancer treatment plan may include a combination of treatment types.

Surgery

Surgery can be useful to diagnose cancer, determine its stage of development, and to treat it. One common type of surgery that may be used to help with cancer diagnosis is a biopsy. Learn More.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy X-rays to stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. About half of all people with cancer receive radiation treatment, and for many individuals, radiation is the only cancer treatment they need. Learn More.

Proton Therapy

Proton beam therapy is an advanced type of radiation therapy aimed at destroying cancerous cells using protons. The treatment offers pinpoint precision that delivers high-energy proton beams directly to tumors, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Learn More.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a group of medicines used to treat cancer. While surgery and radiation therapy target specific areas of the body, chemotherapy works systemically (throughout the body). Chemotherapy can also destroy cancer cells that have metastasized to parts of the body away from the original tumor site. Learn More.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is an innovative and advanced form of targeted cancer therapy that boosts your body’s own immune system and defense mechanisms to fight cancer at the cellular level. Unlike traditional cancer treatments that target the cells in tumors, immunotherapy drugs boost the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells to stop or slow their growth or limit the cancer’s ability to spread. Learn More.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapies are an advanced form of cancer treatments that more precisely fight your cancer. Learn More.

Precision Medicine

Precision medicine in cancer treatment, or precision oncology, is also called “personalized medicine” and is a rapidly evolving approach to cancer treatment and prevention that allows physicians to select treatments that are most likely to help patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease. Learn More.

Palliative Medicine

Palliative medicine (pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized care that aims to improve quality of life for those with a serious illness by adding an extra layer of support to provide relief from the symptoms and stress of illness. Learn More.

Managing Cancer Symptoms and Treatment Side Effects

It is important for you to be aware of changes in your body that may be related to your cancer. Stay alert to aches and pains, changes in your body functions, or changes in your appearance. Make notes of these symptoms, then discuss them promptly with your care team.

Understanding Lab Results

One of the most important actions you can take in managing your cancer care is to understand and track your laboratory and test results. Knowing what each result means and when and why it changes is essential to taking an active role in your treatment. Be sure to talk openly with your care team about what your results mean.

Diet and Nutrition

During your cancer treatment, the food pyramid probably won’t be on the top of your mind, but proper nutrition is as important as ever. Your body uses energy to repair tissue and maintain its strength. A healthy diet is an essential building block for allowing your body to repair itself and to resist infection.

Sexuality and Cancer

It is perfectly natural for people who have been diagnosed with cancer to be concerned about the effect their illness may have on their interest in intimacy. After a diagnosis, you may temporarily lose interest in intimacy as you focus on understanding and treating cancer. Even after treatment, you may have concerns about the effects of the disease and treatment on your desires and performance.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine describes a technology that allows you to meet with your doctor from home by using a smartphone or camera-enabled computer. Texas Oncology uses a program called VSee, which functions through a web application that guides you through a virtual waiting room.

Pharmacy Services and Filling Prescriptions

Texas Oncology’s comprehensive approach to cancer care includes an award-winning, integrated pharmacy. At many of our locations, patients can conveniently fill all their prescriptions and get expert advice and consultation from a pharmacy team specially trained to meet the unique needs of cancer patients. Texas Oncology pharmacists work closely with patient care teams to provide a comprehensive approach to our patients’ oncology care and offer support throughout their oncology journey.

Genetic Risk Evaluation and Testing

Cancer is common, and many families have multiple relatives with cancer. Despite this, most cancers are sporadic and are not passed down through families. When multiple cancers occur in a family, it is usually due to shared risk factors, like smoking or obesity.

Self-Help Measures Through Treatment

As you face your cancer diagnosis and treatment, it may be easy to get caught up in the demands of going to treatments, work, and taking care of your home and family. But don’t forget to take good care of yourself.

Clinical Trials and Research

Clinical trials are research studies in which people help doctors find ways to improve health and cancer care. Each study tries to answer scientific questions and find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer.

Helpful Services

Cancer treatment can impact your quality of life, and your specific treatment may facilitate the need for additional services. Please tell your care team if you have difficulties that impact your treatment or your health. Your care team can help identify resources to address your needs.

Survivorship

Survivorship begins from the time of diagnosis, throughout treatment, and for the duration of life. Family, friends, and caregivers can also be impacted and are included in the definition of cancer survivor. Survivorship is focused on healthy living and life beyond treatment. Care planning seeks to address prevention with appropriate screening and surveillance, management of any treatment-related side effects, and quality of life. Education on survivorship is directed to prepare you with knowledge and resources to optimize your health after cancer treatment.

Your Texas Oncology care team can help you with the transition to survivorship and wellness.

After treatment concludes, we encourage you to schedule an office visit with a member of your healthcare team to:

• Review your care plan and goals for achieving wellness (what your treatment was and what you should do going forward)
• Discuss surveillance and monitoring of your health
• Link you to community resources
• Transition back to your primary care physician or help you find one

Caregivers

Caregivers support cancer patients throughout their cancer fight. Helping a friend or loved one navigate cancer treatment is a vital role that can take many forms. You’re an essential part of the treatment team.

Cancer in the Workplace

If you’re working with cancer, your diagnosis can impact your workplace. While talking to your employer about your cancer diagnosis is a personal choice, consider a few things.

CareFlash

CareFlash® is a mobile-friendly online community with tools and content that makes it easier for your friends and loved ones to stay updated on your health and join you on your cancer journey.

Navigating Cancer

Navigating Cancer is a computer system Texas Oncology uses to record incoming phone messages from patients to our providers and staff to improve communications and promote quicker response times. Navigating Cancer allows our administrative and clinical staff to see patient phone messages in a visual manner. This allows our team to prioritize and deliver messages accurately and efficiently.

Health Tracker

Health Tracker is an extension of Navigating Cancer. It helps you and your care team to stay in contact between office visits.

Relatient

Relatient is a program Texas Oncology uses to communicate with our patients through automated messages, such as appointment reminders, follow-up messages for missed appointments, and surveys. You may receive text messages, phone calls, and emails. You can opt out of these options at any time. Relatient also uses broadcast messaging to notify you about our COVID-19 policies and safety measures, as well as inclement weather office closures. Broadcast messaging can also be sent via text, call, and email.

VSee Telemedicine

VSee is a telemedicine application used by most Texas Oncology providers. You can have appointments with our providers and invite others to attend, such as family that might live out of town.

Financial Counseling

We provide financial counseling to patients and their families to assist in alleviating the stress and strain that can occur.

Advance Care Planning

We believe that every patient’s choices for current and future healthcare should be respected and supported. Our mission for advance care planning (ACP) is to provide an environment where each patient is able to make fully informed, thoughtful decisions regarding their current and future healthcare. Our goal is to ensure every patient has access to programs, tools, and resources to make and document those decisions, and have them respected and supported by their care team and significant others.

Advocacy and Support Groups

National organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Society of Clinical Oncologists can help you get started. All three sites provide information about various cancer types and treatment options, as well as resources for patients, families, caregivers, and survivors. The American Cancer Society can also help connect you with chapters in your area while the National Cancer Institute has detailed information on clinical trials.

Disease-Specific Information

A cancer or blood disorder diagnosis requires learning a lot in a short period of time. Finding the right resources to help you become familiar with your condition and what treatment entails is an important first step. The links below will take you to national organizations focused on specific conditions.

Texas Oncology Fact Sheets

Being educated helps you make smart choices. Know the facts. Our fact sheets are a great starting point for disease prevention, risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options. We offer resources on many other topics too.

Patient Rights & Privacy

Texas Oncology has a legal and ethical obligation to safeguard your patient rights and your protected health information. At all times, we strive to comply with the standards set forth in these documents: please review them carefully.

Glossary

You may encounter new terms during your treatment. Our glossary will give you a better understanding of them.

What cancer cannot do

Cancer is so limited...

It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the spirit.

Author Unknown

© Copyright by Author Unknown