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Oncologist (School (Related College & University Programs, Medicine…
Oncologist
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Day in the life
Oncologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer. Cancer is a disease caused by a cluster of abnormal cell growth. This is called a tumour. Diseased clusters of cells can spread to other parts of the body. This can cause more abnormal cell growth. If left untreated, it is life threatening.
Patients are referred to an oncologist when their family doctor finds evidence of cancer. It is the oncologist's job to confirm the diagnosis. They also develop a plan to treat the patient's cancer. There are over 100 different known cancers that affect humans, so this is not an easy job.
There are many different ways oncologists test for cancer. First, they do a physical exam. They also do x-rays and other types of medical imaging. If a tumour is found, a biopsy is done to determine whether it is cancerous. During a biopsy, the patient is put to sleep with drugs. A piece of the tumour is cut off and removed from the body. It then gets tested for cancer in a medical lab.
If the tumour is cancerous, the oncologist decides the proper treatment. The type of treatment depends on many factors. One factor, for example, is the location of the cancer in the body.
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