Oncology

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.

The Greek term that is the root of “oncology”, onkos, means “mass”, “tumor”, “load” or “burden”.
The field of oncology is divided into many specialties and subspecialties, including surgical oncology, radiation oncology, medical oncology and pediatric oncology. Each field requires specialty oncology training following basic training in surgery, radiology, internal medicine and pediatrics, respectively. Interventional oncologists specialize in minimally invasive image-guided tumor therapies, while gynecologic oncologists focus on cancers of the female reproductive system. In addition, oncology nursing has developed over the past five decades into a distinct specialty requiring academic preparation as well as continuing education.
Patients may first encounter an oncology specialist when a routine test shows abnormal results that may indicate the presence of a malignancy. The oncologist will take a detailed history, paying close attention to symptoms that often accompany cancer, including fatigue, weight loss, anemia and neoplastic changes. Additional diagnostic methods include biopsies, endoscopy, radiological imaging, blood tests, and nuclear medicine imaging exams.
Tissue biopsies are generally considered essential for identifying the specific type of cancer, while imaging studies are used by surgical oncologists to determine if a tumor can be entirely removed surgically. In many cases, after a tumor has been surgically removed, the patient will be referred to a medical or radiation oncologist for further treatment.
If a tumor is not operable, or a primary tumor cannot be found, the patient will be cared for by a medical oncologist, who determines the optimal treatment or combination of treatments for the patient. Chemotherapy, drug therapy and radiation treatments are the primary “weapons” in the oncologist’s arsenal.
Palliative care specialists address the issues associated with advanced and incurable cancer, including pain, nausea, anorexia, fatigue, immobility and depression. Palliative care specialists also address many ethical and psychological issues relevant to cancer patients.