As a leading cause of death around the world, cancer is one of medical science’s greatest challenges. Most people will be affected by cancer at some point in their life, either by being diagnosed with it themselves, or by knowing someone else who is. When cancer is discovered, the medical experts we depend on are oncologists.
Oncologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer. When another doctor, such as a family practitioner, finds evidence that a patient has or may have cancer, the doctor refers the patient to an oncologist for further tests and treatment.
There are many different ways oncologists can test for cancer, including physical exams, x-rays and other types of medical imaging, and biopsies. A biopsy is performed when a tumour is found and the oncologist wants to know whether or not it is cancerous. The patient is anesthetised and a piece of the tumour is cut off and removed from the body and then taken to a medical lab to be tested.
If the tests prove positive, the oncologist will recommend a course of treatment for the patient. The type of treatment the oncologist suggests or performs will depend on many factors, including the location of the cancer within the patient.
Although there is no cure for cancer, there are a number of different treatments at the disposal of oncologists. Treatment options include prescribing medicines that are designed to kill cancer cells, surgically removing cancerous tissue, and using radiation therapy to destroy cancerous cells.
Within the broader field of oncology, there are many areas of sub-specialization. The exact type of work that oncologists do depends on their subspecialty.
The three most common specialists in this field are medical oncologists, who treat cancer with medicine (chemotherapy), radiation oncologists, who employ radiation therapy, and surgical oncologists, who use surgical methods, such as the physical removal of tumours.
Other specialists include gynecologic oncologists, who treat female patients for cancers of the reproductive organs, and pediatric oncologists, who specialize in treating children.
NOC Code: 3111