Oncology

:Please refer to cancer for the biology of malignant disease, as well as a list of malignant diseases.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oncology is the medical study and treatment of cancer. A physician who practices oncology is an oncologist. The term is from the Greek onkos (ονκος), meaning bulk, mass or tumor, and the suffix -ology, meaning "study of".

Related Topics:
Cancer - Greek - Tumor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 heritable basis, such as breast cancer).

The oncologist often coordinates the multidisciplinary care of cancer patients, which may involve physiotherapy, counselling, clincal 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.

Related Topics:
Cancer patient - Physiotherapy - Counselling - Genetics - Pathologist - Tumor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 
Oncology: Diagnosis ►