Oncology means the study of mass or tumors, and an oncology study confirms that your body cells' regulatory system controls growth of tumors. Oncology experts state that your body's cells also control maturity, reproduction and death of cells. When your body cells mature and grow out of control, cancer growth takes advantage of that activity and inhabit those abnormal cells. Researchers note that papyrus manuscripts of ancient Egypt describe cancer findings of breast cancer in 3000 BC. Back then, cauterization was used to treat cancer, which was described as an incurable disease. Oncology is a modern study of cancer and how it can be treated.
Who Are Oncologists?
Cancer specialists who practice oncology medicine are referred to as oncologists, and they play specific roles in your cancer care in a team effort. These specialists stage your cancer to determine how advanced your condition is. Based on your grade of cancer, your oncologist helps plan for your surgery, possible chemotherapy, radiation therapy or other treatment methods that suits your case.
How Oncology Benefits You
Diagnostic tools are used to determine symptoms of your cancer disease. Oncology experts note that the most significant diagnostic tool is your clinical history that reveal some very obvious symptoms, which include fatigue and decreasing weight loss in addition to anemia and fever of unknown origins.
Oncology Tools
A number of oncology tools aid in the diagnostic examination of tumors. Diagnostic tools are used by cancer surgeons to remove tissue samples from your body for microscopic examination. An endoscope could be used to examine your stomach. Imaging studies are conducted with MRI scanning, CT scanning, X-rays and ultrasound as required by oncologists who study your case.
You may also undergo nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography techniques as oncologists examine diagnostic results.You will undergo blood tests designed for use as biological or tumor markers. If there is a rise of tumor markers in your blood test results, your oncologist interprets that as a sign of cancer activity in your body.
Team Care Effort
Oncologists work with radiation oncologists or a radiotherapist and a surgeon in caring for you, but it is your oncologist who will coordinate your entire cancer therapeutic care. When you have completed therapy, your oncologist will arrange for your follow-up visits during which you will be examined for signs of relapse or remission of cancer. There are times when the news may not be as encouraging in individual cases. It is still your oncologist who will arrange for your care if you suffer from a terminal malignancy.
Your oncologist will, in such a situation, arrange for palliative or other symptomatic care that you might need. Oncologists are trained professionals who will observe ethical rules for your care. Your choices and the choices of your family are highly regarded, and you will be treated with utmost dignity and kindness.
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