CANCER TREATMENT PERTH
Please see the list below of the cancers Murdoch Oncology treat and potential treatment options:
Murdoch Oncology offer comprehensive world-class cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Our highly experienced doctors aim to provide you with all the information about your condition and treatment options to allow you to understand your situation and make decisions aligned with your values and preferences. Dr Tim Slattery – Oncologist.
Access the buttons below to find out more about the cancers treated at Murdoch Oncology, what to consider before treatment and cancer treatment options:
Type of Cancers treated at Murdoch Oncology
The team at Murdoch Oncology are highly experienced in diagnosing and treating the below cancer groups:
All types of Breast Cancer
Including treatments for:
- Cutaneous melanoma
- Mucosal melanoma
- Uveal melanoma
Non-melanomatous skin cancer including:
- Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
- Advanced basal cell carcinoma
- Merkel cell carcinoma
Sarcoma including bone, muscle, and soft tissue cancers
Head & neck cancer including:
- Nasopharyngeal cancer
- Oropharyngeal cancer
- Hypopharyngeal cancer
- Laryngeal cancer
- Paranasal tumours
Primary central nervous system (brain) cancer including:
- Glioblastoma multiforme
- Astrocytoma
- Oligodendroglioma
- Glioma.
Pancreatohepatobiliary cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct / gallbladder cancer)
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer)
All types of Lung Cancer
All types of Mesothelioma
Genitourinary cancer including:
- Prostate cancer
- Bladder & ureteric cancer
- Renal cell cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Penile cancer
Gastrointestinal cancer including:
- Colon cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Anal cancer
- Gastric cancer
- Oesophageal cancer
Gynaecological cancer including:
- Ovarian
- Endometrial (uterine) cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Vulval cancer
Rare cancers including:
- Neuroendocrine tumour/carcinoma
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumour
- Thyroid cancer
- Adrenocortical cancer
- Salivary gland cancer
Our team understand it’s confronting talking about a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Your doctor will work hard to help you feel comfortable during your appointment and answer any questions simply, clearly and with professionalism and compassion.
Factors to consider before Cancer Treatment
There are many factors to take into account when considering which cancer treatment is most appropriate for your situation. These considerations may include but are not limited to:
Cancer Type – Different types of cancer may have different treatments. For example, breast cancer may be treated differently to lung cancer etc.
Stage of Cancer – Early-stage cancers may be treated differently than advanced-stage cancers.
Location of the Cancer – Surgery may be feasible for accessible cancers but not for those in difficult-to-reach locations.
Cancer Grade – High-grade cancers may require more aggressive treatment as they may be more likely to grow and spread.
Patient’s Overall Health and Age – Some treatments may not be suitable for older patients or patients with certain health issues or medical conditions.
Genetic and Molecular Characteristics – Genetic and molecular profiling of the cancer can reveal markers that can be targeted with particular therapies.
Previous Treatments – Previous treatments for cancer may influence future treatment options.
Availability of Clinical Trials – Participation in clinical trials may provide access to new and experimental treatments that are not yet widely available.
Healthcare Resources and Accessibility – The availability of specific treatments can vary based on geographic location, healthcare infrastructure availability and insurance coverage.
Cancer Treatment Perth
Find out more about the cancer treatments the Murdoch Oncology team administer.
To maximise effectiveness, cancer treatments are tailored to patient needs, values and preferences based on cancer type, stage and your individual situation.
Learn more about our treatments below – Dr Ade Freeman – Oncologist.
1. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells. Many different kinds of chemotherapy medicines and treatment plans are available.
The kind of medicines given and how often they are needed, will depend on the type of cancer you have, how it responds to treatment and how your body responds and copes with treatment.
Chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells, a characteristic of cancer. Chemotherapy can be administered orally or intravenously and is used to shrink tumors, prevent cancer spread, or relieve symptoms. It may be combined with other treatments like surgery or radiation therapy. While effective, chemotherapy can also affect healthy cells, leading to side effects such as fatigue, nausea, hair loss and increased infection risk.
The Murdoch Oncology team will talk you through your options and discuss the best possible approach for your situation and personal preferences.
2. Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that boosts or modifies the body’s immune system to recognise and fight cancer cells. It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune function.
The immune system is made up of cells and organs that protect the body from threats such as infections, toxins and abnormal cell growth. The immune system recognises when a foreign organism, such as a germ, enters the body and attacks it to stop it from harming the body.
What types of immunotherapy treatments are there?
There are many different kinds of immunotherapy which work by slowing the growth and spread of cancer cells and by helping the immune system destroy existing cancer cells.
Checkpoint inhibitors are medicines that help the immune system respond more strongly to a tumour by releasing “brakes” that keep T cells (a type of white blood cell and part of the immune system) from killing cancer cells.
Monoclonal antibodies, also known as therapeutic antibodies, are immune system proteins designed to attach to specific targets found on cancer cells so that they will be better seen and destroyed by the immune system.
Non-specific immunotherapies refer to the use of proteins produced by white blood cells to control immune responses that help the body’s immune system destroy cancer cells.
Cell therapy is an emerging type of treatment in which a patient’s T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines are medicines that trigger the body’s immune system to detect cancer cells and either prevent cancer cells from developing or prompt the immune system to fight existing cancer cells.
3. Hormone Therapy
Some cancers ‘feed’ on hormones to grow, such as certain types of breast and prostate cancers. Hormone therapy in cancer treatment involves using medications or surgical procedures to block or lower the levels of hormones that fuel certain cancers slowing or stopping their growth.
Common methods include drugs that block hormone receptors or reduce hormone production and surgical removal of hormone-producing organs. Hormone therapy may be given in the form of oral tablets or injections.
Hormone therapy may also be used to:
Shrinking the size of cancerous tumours before surgery or radiation therapy
Reducing the risk of cancer recurrence following treatment
Controlling or slowing the growth of cancer that has spread
Reducing the impact of cancer symptoms
4. Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that targets a patient’s own specific type and stage of cancer using drugs or substances that specifically target and attack cancer cells while sparing most normal cells.
Targeted therapies concentrate on the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells. The treatments interfere with the specific molecules in the cancer cells that tell them to grow and spread. By attacking these molecules and the specific changes in the cancer cell, targeted therapies can block the abnormal progression of those cancer-causing cells.
5. Oncology clinical trials
Oncology clinical trials in Australia are research studies designed to test new cancer treatments, therapies, and diagnostic methods. They mostly involve participants who meet specific criteria based on their cancer type, stage and overall health.
Participation in an oncology clinical trial may involve regular hospital visits, medical tests, treatments and monitoring to assess the effectiveness and safety of the investigational therapy. Participants are provided with comprehensive information about the trial’s purpose, potential risks and benefits before they agree to join. By participating, patients may gain access to new treatments, contribute to medical research, and help improve future cancer care.
Learn more about cancer trials in Australia: Visit – canceraustralia.gov.au
Referring patients to other specialties:
Dr Freeman & Dr Slattery regularly attend various multidisciplinary specialty team meetings involving collaboration with other physicians, surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and nuclear medicine physicians.
