Full Answer
What do you call a doctor who specializes in cancer?
This type of surgeon can also perform certain types of biopsies to help diagnose cancer. There are also medical terms for oncologists who specialize in caring for specific groups of patients or groups of cancers. Here are definitions for some common terms.
What does a surgical oncologist do for cancer?
Surgical oncologists often perform biopsies, removing a small section of tissue so it can be checked for cancer cells. If cancer cells are present, then you might see the surgical oncologist again — this time to have the tumor and surrounding tissues removed.
How can a psychologist help a cancer patient?
A psychologist can address more serious emotional challenges such as depression or anxiety, which are common in cancer patients. Hospitals often have libraries or resource centers with information about cancer. Your care team will be made up of many cancer specialists in addition to your primary oncology doctors and nurses.
How do I find out who a cancer specialist is?
Usually, your primary care doctor will refer you to a cancer specialist. Many people rely on recommendations from friends and relatives. Your insurance company may also have a specific list of providers that they will work with. There are other ways to get the names of cancer specialists.
What kind of doctor do you see for cancer?
It depends on your type of cancer and the stage of your cancer. However, here’s a rundown of the cancer specialists you might see: Medical oncologist. This is the cancer specialist you’ll probably see most often. Usually your oncologist will oversee your general care and coordinate treatments with other specialists.
What to look for in a cancer specialist?
Openness to your questions. This is one of the most important things to look for in a cancer specialist. You need to feel like your doctor is listening to you and answering your questions. Also, make sure your doctor will be available to you when you need to talk to them -- even after you leave the office.
What is a surgical oncologist?
Surgical oncologist. This is a surgeon who has special training in treating cancer. Your surgical oncologist may be called in to diagnose cancer with a biopsy. Surgical oncologists also treat cancer by removing tumors or other cancerous tissue. Depending on your case, you may also need to see other types of doctors for special cancer care.
What is the job of an oncologist?
Usually your oncologist will oversee your general care and coordinate treatments with other specialists. Your oncologist will also be in charge of chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. You’ll likely visit your medical oncologist for long-term, regular checkups. Radiation oncologist.
How many ways can you treat cancer?
Active surveillance is advised but there are three ways to treat cancer: with medicine (such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy), with radiation, and with surgery. Each treatment may be handled by a different specialist. Not ev,ery person will need all three types of treatments.
Is it bad to not be board certified in cancer?
That said, board certification is not available for every subtype of cancer treatment. So not being board certified is not necessarily a bad sign.
Who do you see for reconstructive surgery?
Sometimes, surgery might be done by a general surgeon instead of a surgical oncologist. Or you might need to see a plastic surgeon if you need reconstructive surgery after treatment. You might also wish to see a psychiatrist or a psycho-oncologist, a psychiatrist who specializes in the psychological challenges of coping with cancer.
What kind of doctor do you see if you have cancer?
A surgical oncologist may be one of the first doctors you see if your primary care physician suspects that you have cancer. Surgical oncologists often perform biopsies, removing a small section of tissue so it can be checked for cancer cells.
What is an oncologist?
An oncologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating people who have cancer. If you have cancer, an oncologist will design a treatment plan based on detailed pathology reports that say what type of cancer you have, how much it has developed, how fast it is likely to spread, and what parts of your body are involved.
What is a gynecologic oncologist?
Gynecologic oncologists specialize in treating cancers that affect women, such as ovarian, cervical, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancers, but they also often treat complicated gynecological conditions that are not cancerous like endometriosis and fibroid tumors.
What is pediatric oncology?
Some pediatric oncologists specialize in certain types of cancer, and some focus on conducting research on childhood cancers. An important part of the work of most pediatric oncologists is educating families whose children are undergoing treatment for cancer.
How many children are diagnosed with cancer every year?
Pediatric oncologists diagnose and treat children who have cancer. About 175,000 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with cancer every year worldwide. In the United States, about 80 percent of children who are diagnosed with cancer and treated will survive. Some pediatric oncologists specialize in certain types of cancer, ...
How long does it take to become a radiation oncologist?
Becoming a radiation oncologist is a five-year process that includes an internship in internal medicine, followed by a radiation oncology residency.
What tests do oncologists do?
They might also do blood and urine tests or imaging scans like MRIs, ultrasounds, and CT scans. They might do one or more biopsies to check for cancer cells in tissues.
What is the name of the doctor who treats cancer?
They check your progress often, review your lab and X-ray results, and coordinate your medical care before and after your treatment. Surgical oncologist. A doctor who specializes in the surgical treatment of cancer. Surgical oncologists do biopsies and other procedures such as removing a lump or a breast.
What is the role of a medical oncologist in breast cancer?
The medical oncologist manages your overall medical care for cancer and monitors your health during your treatment.
What is a breast cancer specialist?
Breast Cancer Specialists. Medical oncologist. A doctor who specializes in the medical treatment of cancer. Medical oncologists have a thorough knowledge of how cancers behave and grow and how to use medication to treat them.
What are the health care professionals involved in breast cancer?
Other health care professionals that may be involved in your breast cancer treatment include: Oncology nurses who have special skills and pass a certifying test. Radiation technologist who helps put you in the correct treatment position and delivers the proper radiation dose to the site.
What is a breast surgeon?
Breast surgeon. A doctor who specializes in the surgical removal of breast tumors and lymph nodes while saving as much of the breast as possible.
What is a doctor who checks tissue samples under a microscope?
A doctor who checks tissue samples under a microscope. They decide whether cancer is present, its size, whether the surgery removed all the cancer, and how many lymph nodes have cancer, if any. Radiation oncologist. A doctor trained in treating cancer with radiation.
What kind of doctor does a biopsies?
These doctors may also do biopsies to diagnose or treat cancer. Plastic surgeon. A surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction. Radiologist. A doctor trained in reading X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and other forms of imaging that look into the body. Pathologist.