A doctor specializing in diagnosing and treating cancer patients is known as an oncologist. If you have cancer, an oncologist will establish a treatment plan based on thorough pathology reports that detail the type of cancer you have, how far it has advanced, how rapidly it is predicted to spread, and which bodily areas it has impacted. You may see multiple different types of oncologists during your treatment since most malignancies require a combination of therapy.
One type of oncologist is the surgical oncologist. A surgical oncologist may be one of the first experts you see if your doctor believes you have cancer. Biopsies, which include extracting a tiny piece of tissue and testing it for cancer cells, are commonly performed by surgical oncologists. Most malignancies can only be diagnosed with certainty by a biopsy. CT scans and X-rays can assist detect problem regions, but they can't tell the difference between malignant and non-cancerous cells.
If cells infected with cancer are found, a surgical oncologist will be required to have the tumor and surrounding tissues removed to prevent it from spreading further to healthy tissue. These kinds of surgeons also assist in preparing for and recuperating from any surgical operations while you are receiving cancer therapy.
Another type of oncologist is the radiation oncologist. Radiation oncologists take a completely different approach from surgical oncologists. They often utilize high-energy photon beams to target and destroy cancer cells. Radiation treatments are given to around half of all cancer patients as part of their cancer therapy.
Little "seeds" of irradiated material implanted in the affected region work best for certain cancers. For others, intense radiation beams so precisely targeted that they're called "radiosurgery" work best.
Hematologist-oncologist is a different kind of oncologist. These oncologists specialize in treating blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. They may also treat blood illnesses that aren't cancer, such as hemophilia.
Further, a different kind of oncologist is the gynecologic oncologist. This type of oncology treats cancers that affect women, such as ovarian, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers, and treats difficult non-cancerous gynecological disorders such as fibroid tumors.
Like other cancer specialists, gynecological oncologists are trained solely on malignancies that afflict women for several years.
Another category of oncologists is the medical oncologist. Medical oncologists treat cancer with chemotherapy, hormone medicines, biological therapies, and other targeted treatments. They are sometimes referred to as "primary cancer doctors."
Medical oncologists are vital because they help patients cope with the side effects of using chemotherapy while also monitoring and preserving their overall health. After their treatment by different oncologists, patients are always advised to follow up with their medical oncologists.
A kind oncologist worth mentioning is the neuro-oncologist. This category of oncologists specializes in treating the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves malignancies.
In addition, pediatric oncologists are different kinds of oncologists. Children with cancer are diagnosed and treated by pediatric oncologists. Around 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year all over the world. However, about 80 percent of children with cancer who are diagnosed and treated in the United States will survive.
Pediatric oncologists have a further division. They treat different types of cancer in children, while others focus on pediatric cancer research to reduce and treat cancer cases in the adolescent population. Most pediatric oncologists devote a substantial amount of time to educating families whose children are receiving cancer treatment.
