tips for protecting your good health

3 Different Types Of Oncologists

20 July 2016 by Sasha Meyer

A cancer diagnosis brings many changes to you and your family. You are going to have a lot questions, especially about treatment options. When making decisions about your health, it helps to talk to an oncologist.

An oncologist works in the field of medicine that deals with cancerous tumors. It is beneficial to get to know this type of specialist. He or she will manage your treatment and care after being diagnosed with cancer. Here are three types of oncologists you should get to know.

Medical Oncologist

A medical oncologist specializes in treating cancer with targeted therapy. He or she treats your disease using drugs and chemotherapy. It is called targeted therapy because the medication used works by targeting specific proteins and genes. Certain proteins and genes are found in cancerous cells. They are what cause cancerous cells to spread and grow.

Radiation Oncologist

A radiation oncologist treats cancer using radiation therapy. He or she oversees any treatment administered to patients. These duties consist of determining your stage of cancer, recommending a treatment plan and monitoring your progress.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy waves to destroy cancer cells. It also requires several treatments. The second part to the treatment is adjuvant therapy, which comes after radiation. It is used to get rid of any remaining cancer cells. The purpose of radiation therapy is to slow tumor growth without damaging your healthy tissue.

Surgical Oncologist

A surgical oncologist specializes in the removal of tissues and tumors. He or she also performs biopsies. A biopsy is one of the ways doctors diagnose cancer. It is done by removing a small amount of tissue and examining it under a microscope.

Surgical oncologists specialize in managing cancer that are mostly treated with surgery. These cancers are colorectal, breast, liver, pancreatic, melanoma and stomach cancer. One advantage of surgery is that you have a higher chance of being cured of your disease.

If you are diagnosed with cancer, then it helps to research your treatment options. Your doctor is willing to send you to a specialist, but it has to be the right specialist. One doctor may tell you that only one treatment can help your condition. This can be a problem when you are not in favor of the treatment option. A different type of specialist may offer another treatment that helps your condition. It helps to learn more about your disease and understand your options.

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