Generally, cancers can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy and drugs or biological agents. Medical Oncology treats cancers using drugs or biological agents. In Western countries Medical Oncology has evolved to be one of the larger subspecialties of Internal Medicine. For India, Medical Oncology is a relatively new subspecialty.

Drugs of chemotherapy may be used singly or in combination. These may be administered systemically i.e. orally or via. A peripheral vein or, their administration may be localised to an extremity, an organ or a body cavity. Chemotherapy may be curative e.g. Choriocarcinoma, childhood Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Lymphomas, Testicular tumors, administered to prevent or delay recurrence e.g. Breast cancer, Osteogenic sarcoma or; palliative e.g. in advanced cancers.

Biological therapy (e.g. interferons, interleukins) for cancer may be defined as treatment which uses biologic materials, usually cells or cell products to affect tumor proliferation directly or indirectly. Biological therapy has definite anticancer activity. In 1996, biological treatment is in a position similar to chemotherapy in 40s; a small number of active agents exit, responses to treatment are of short duration and seen in a minority of patients.

In the 1930s, four out of five people diagnosed as having cancer, died of their disease. As chemotherapy developed rapidly with new drugs, combination chemotherapy, high dose treatments and adjuvant chemotherapy in the 60s and the 70s, one in three patients was alive and disease-free five years after the diagnosis of cancer. Presently approximately 40% of all patients diagnosed as having cancer are alive and free of disease five years later. If patients, with cancer dying of causes unrelated to cancer are excluded, approximately half of all patients with cancer survive.

The Medical Oncology Unit in Kasturba Hospital was set up in January 1993. It has 10 inpatient beds, a daily outpatient clinic, and facilities for the administration of chemotherapy to ambulatory patients on care basis. The strategic intent is simple- patient care is of paramount importance, ensure optimal treatment to patients with potentially curable cancers and, administer ‘good standard’ treatment where recurrence(s) can be prevented or delayed and life substantially prolonged with minimum disruption. Lastly, to keep treatment affordable and within budget.