Oncology is the field of medicine that deals with cancer. Oncologists diagnose cancers in patients; select therapies for cancer treatment; monitor patients following successful treatment; provide palliative care to patients with cancers that cannot be treated; develop screening protocols; and conduct research into the causes and treatments of cancer. In recent years, much oncology research has focused on genetic factors, as oncologists strive to understand the hereditary basis of cancers and the role of DNA.
