What They Do
An oncologist is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer. Oncology is a broad field with several distinct branches, each focused on a different approach to cancer treatment, and patients with cancer are often cared for by more than one type of oncologist working together.
What They Treat
Medical oncologists manage cancer primarily through medication-based treatments and coordinate a patient's overall cancer care. Radiation oncologists specialize in treating cancer using radiation therapy. Surgical oncologists specialize in the surgical removal of tumors. Many oncologists further subspecialize in cancers affecting a specific part of the body, such as breast cancer, blood-related cancers, or gastrointestinal cancers.
Training Path
Becoming an oncologist requires completing a medical degree, followed by residency training in a related base specialty, such as internal medicine for medical oncologists or general surgery for surgical oncologists, and then additional specialized fellowship training specifically in oncology. Radiation oncologists follow a distinct training path centered specifically on the safe and effective use of radiation therapy.
When to See One
People are typically referred to an oncologist following a cancer diagnosis, often after an initial finding from a screening test, biopsy, or imaging study performed by another physician. From that point, the oncology team plays a central role in determining and coordinating the overall treatment approach.
Background
Oncology developed as a distinct medical specialty over the course of the 20th century, growing alongside major advances in cancer treatment, including the development of chemotherapy, refinements in radiation therapy, and increasingly precise surgical techniques. The field continues to be one of the most active areas of medical research, with treatment approaches continuing to evolve considerably as understanding of cancer biology advances.