Allergo Oncology - Specialties

Specialties

There are several sub-specialties within oncology. Moreover, oncologists often develop an interest and expertise in the management of particular types of cancer.

Oncologists may be divided on the basis of the type of treatment provided.

• Radiation oncology: treatment primarily with radiation, a process called radiotherapy.
• Surgical oncology: surgeons who specialize in tumor removal.
• Medical oncology: treatment primarily with drugs, e.g. chemotherapy
• Interventional oncology: interventional radiologists who specialize in minimally invasive image guided tumor therapies.
• Gynecologic oncology: focuses on cancers of the female reproductive system.
• Pediatric oncology: concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children

In the United Kingdom and several other countries, oncologists may be either clinical or medical oncologists. The main difference is that clinical oncologists deliver radiotherapy, while medical oncologists do not. In North America, the terms, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist are more frequent.

In most countries it is now common that patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team. These teams meet on a regular basis and discuss the patients under their care. These teams consist of the medical oncologist, a clinical oncologist or radiotherapist, a surgeon (sometimes there is a second reconstructive surgeon), a radiologist, a pathologist, an organ specific specialist such as a gynecologist or dermatologist, and sometimes the general practitioner is also involved. These disease oriented teams are sometimes in conflict with the general organisation and operation in hospitals. Historically hospitals are organised in an organ or technique specific manner. Multidisciplinary teams operate over these borders and it is sometimes difficult to define who is in charge.

In veterinary medicine, veterinary oncology is the sub-specialty that deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals.