What is a cancer radiation doctor called?
If your cancer can be treated with radiation, you will be referred to a radiation oncologist — a doctor who specializes in treating patients with radiation therapy. Your radiation oncologist will work with your primary doctor and other cancer specialists, such as surgeons and medical oncologists, to oversee your care.
Who performs radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy is usually given in private clinics or large hospitals. Treatment is given by trained staff called nuclear medicine specialists or radiation therapists. The treatment will be supervised by radiation oncologists who are the main treating medical specialists for people getting radiation therapy.
What are radiation therapists called?
A radiation therapist, therapeutic radiographer or radiotherapist is an allied health professional who works in the field of radiation oncology.
What's the difference between a radiation oncologist and an oncologist?
Medical oncologists treat cancer using medication, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Radiation oncologists treat cancer using radiation therapy, which is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells.
Does a radiologist do radiation therapy?
Other doctors and other clinicians on a cancer patient's care team may also have similar titles starting with “rad.” "Our primary focus is in using ionizing radiation energy to treat cancer, whereas the diagnostic radiologists are using ionizing radiation to evaluate patients with imaging.
Is radiation worse than chemo?
The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.
What does a radiation oncologist do?
Radiation oncologists provide radiation treatment and management of patients with cancer and other medical conditions.
What is the success rate of radiation therapy?
“In fact, based on the literature reviewed, it appears that external-beam radiation therapy is a superior treatment in some cases. “When patients are treated with modern external-beam radiation therapy, the overall cure rate was 93.3% with a metastasis-free survival rate at 5 years of 96.9%.
What can you not do during radiation treatment?
Avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and other hard, dry foods such as chips or pretzels. It's also best to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods if you are experiencing these symptoms. Your care team can recommend nutrient-based oral care solutions if you are experiencing mucositis or mouth sores caused by cancer treatment.
Why am I being referred to a hematologist oncologist?
Oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cancers. A hematologist oncologist specializes in both. You might see a hematologist oncologist if you have blood cancer or suspected blood cancer. If blood cancer runs in your family, you might also see one then, too.
Why do I need a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist?
A medical oncologist will treat your cancer with chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. A radiation oncologist will treat your cancer with radiation therapy. A surgical oncologist uses surgery to remove tumors.
Do Radiation oncologists do procedures?
A radiation oncologist uses ionizing radiation and other modalities to treat malignant and some benign diseases. Radiation oncologists also may use computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and hyperthermia (heat) as additional interventions to aid in treatment planning and delivery.