Showing posts with label Oncology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oncology. Show all posts

Oncology

Oncology is the branch of medicine that studies tumors (cancer) and seeks to understand their development, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. The term originates from the Greek onkos (ογκος), meaning bulk, mass, or tumor and the suffix -ology, meaning "study of".

The oncologist often coordinates the multidisciplinary care of cancer patients, which may involve physiotherapy, counselling, clinical genetics, to name but a few. On the other hand, the oncologist often has to liaise with pathologists on the exact biological nature of the tumor that is being treated.

Oncology is concerned with:
  • The diagnosis of cancer
  • Therapy (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other modalities)
  • Follow-up of cancer patients after successful treatment
  • Palliative care of patients with terminal malignancies
  • Ethical questions surrounding cancer care
  • Screening efforts: of populations, or of the relatives of patients (in types of cancer that are thought to have a hereditary basis, such as breast cancer).