An oncologist is a doctor who treats cancer and provides medical treatment for the same. They are also known as cancer specialists as they have an in-depth knowledge of all types of cancer and their treatments. The types of oncologists depend upon the major areas of treatment given to cancer patients. If you are also looking for an oncologist, you can check cancer specialist singapore.
Types Of Oncologists
There are majorly three areas of treatment used for cancer treatment. The three primary treatment areas for cancer are medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology. Hence, based on this, Singapore’s three types of cancer specialists are medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgical oncologists.
Medical oncologists treat cancer using medications or anti-cancer drugs, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. In all three types of treatment, the patient is injected with cancer-killing drugs to kill or slow down the process of tumor cells.
Radiation oncologists use radiation therapy, including high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer-making cells in the body.
Surgical oncologists, popularly known as cancer surgeons, treat cancer patients using surgery by removing the tumor and its nearby tissue to remove the tumor permanently. These surgeons can also perform biopsies to diagnose cancer.
Oncologists are also categorized based on the types of cancer they treat.
Some types of cancer specialists based on the type of the disease are given as follows:
A urologist oncologist treats urinary system cancer such as bladder, kidney, penis, prostate, testicles, etc.
Pediatric oncologists are child specialist cancer doctors who treat cancer in children.
Hematologist oncologist treats blood cancer like leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
Neuro oncologists treat the cancer of the brain and nervous system.
An oncologist manages and treats a cancer patient throughout his course of treatment. Everything is taken care of by an oncologist, from the diagnosis to medicines and treatment. The primary role of a cancer specialist includes:
- Recommending the tests to diagnose cancer.
- Explaining the type and stage of cancer.
- Going through all the treatment stages with the patient.
- Helping them manage the symptoms and side effects of cancer.
