Departments of Instruction

Division of Oncology

The academic goal of the Oncology Division of the Department of Internal Medicine is to teach how to prevent, screen, diagnose, and treat cancer. The overall aim of the Oncology Division is to teach excellence in medicine and medical care by highlighting cancer biology as well as demonstrating an empathetic and humanistic approach toward patients. We teach these as critical components of cancer care to both medical students and house officers. A multimodality approach is emphasized both for the common solid malignancies (lung, colon, breast and prostate cancer) and more unusual diagnoses and disease presentations.

Discussion of research approaches to screening, diagnosis, and therapy focuses on cellular and molecular biology, and encompasses biochemistry, pharmacology and pathology, surgery, radiotherapy, and the supporting roles of radiology, neurology, psychiatry, immunology, and ancillary care in the treatment of patients with cancer. Molecular biology and genomics are emphasized as the basis of cancer diagnosis and care in the near future, and of great relevance to all physicians. The Oncology Division's own work in thermochemotherapy biology and treatment of cancer is regularly presented.

The Oncology Division is an integral part of the Medical School's Department of Internal Medicine and collaborates regularly with the other subspecialties of Internal Medicine and as well as the Departments of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Surgery, Radiology, and Pathology, as well as the Clinical Research Center and the new Center of Translational Medicine. The Division of Oncology also is closely integrated with the Division of Cancer Medicine at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and works closely with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Divisions of Cancer Medicine, Radiation Therapy, Surgery, and the Departments of Biomathematics and Cellular Biology. These fertile interactions greatly enhance research, teaching, and patient-care activities.

The Division of Oncology provides both inpatient, consultation, and ambulatory care services at Memorial Hermann Hospital, as well as patient services at the Division of Cancer Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.