Oncology: Advanced Cancer Care

What is Oncology?

Oncology is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Oncologists manage solid tumors and blood cancers using chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, and surgery, often in collaboration with surgeons and radiologists.

Types of Oncologists

• Medical Oncologist: Uses medications like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.

• Surgical Oncologist: Removes tumors surgically.

• Radiation Oncologist: Treats cancer using focused radiation beams.

• Hematologist-Oncologist: Manages blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

When to See an Oncologist

• A confirmed or suspected cancer diagnosis

• Abnormal imaging, lab results, or biopsies

• Unexplained weight loss, fatigue, pain, or lump/mass

• Family history of cancers or genetic mutations (e.g., BRCA)

Common Cancers Treated

1. Breast Cancer

Affects breast tissue, common in women but can also occur in men.
Diagnosis: Mammogram, biopsy.
Treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy.

2. Lung Cancer

Caused largely by smoking but also occurs in non-smokers.
Symptoms: Cough, breathlessness, chest pain.
Diagnosis: Chest CT, bronchoscopy.
Treatment: Surgery, chemo, targeted therapy, immunotherapy.

3. Colorectal Cancer

Cancer of the colon or rectum, often starting from polyps.
Symptoms: Blood in stool, changes in bowel habits.
Screening: Colonoscopy.
Treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, sometimes radiation.

4. Prostate Cancer

A common cancer in men, often slow-growing.
Diagnosis: PSA test, biopsy.
Treatment: Active surveillance, surgery, radiation, hormone therapy.

5. Cervical and Ovarian Cancers

Often detected through routine screenings.
Diagnosis: Pap smear, pelvic ultrasound, biopsy.
Treatment: Surgery, chemo, radiation, targeted therapy.

6. Blood Cancers (Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma)

Affect bone marrow, lymph nodes, and blood cells.
Treatment: Chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, immunotherapy.

Cancer Diagnosis Tools

• Biopsy (Needle, Endoscopic, Surgical)

• PET-CT, MRI, and Ultrasound Imaging

• Tumor Marker Blood Tests

• Genetic and Molecular Testing

Cancer Treatments

• Chemotherapy: Drugs that kill or stop cancer cell growth.

• Radiation Therapy: High-energy rays to target cancer cells.

• Immunotherapy: Boosts body’s immune response to cancer.

• Targeted Therapy: Focuses on specific genetic mutations in cancer cells.

• Surgery: Removal of tumors and nearby tissue.

• Palliative Care: Symptom relief for advanced cancers.

Oncology Support Services

• Nutritional counseling

• Pain and symptom management

• Psychological support and survivorship care

• Genetic counseling and screening for hereditary cancers