Biological Agents

Biological Agents for Cancer

Pharmaceuticals play an important role in many cancer treatment regimens, and there are many different drugs to choose from. Your oncologist at the Stanford Cancer Center may prescribe one or more of the following types of pharmaceutical treatment to supplement any surgery or radiation therapy that you receive:

• Chemotherapy
• Hormonal therapy, including tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors 
• Biological therapy, including monoclonal antibodies and cancer vaccines

Stanford expertise

Physicians and researchers at Stanford have been at the forefront of developing new cancer drugs for many years, and these efforts are part of what has made the Stanford Cancer Center the world-renown powerhouse that it is today.

Patients at our center have had early access to groundbreaking therapies such as Herceptin, Gleevec, Eloxatin, and Camptosar through clinical trials, and continue to have access to other innovative treatments today.

Stanford researchers have been particularly active in developing and testing monoclonal antibody therapies, and vaccine therapies for lymphoma. For example, a group led by Ron Levy over the last couple of decades was instrumental in discovering and developing the monoclonal antibody drug now called Rituxan that is used to treat patients with a specific form of lymphoma.

Stanford facilities

If your chemotherapy or biological therapy must be delivered intravenously (IV), you can receive treatment in our patient-friendly, state-of-the-art infusion center. This facility was designed to maximize patient comfort and convenience.