Can general internests treat cancer?

[Hedwig]

Can general internests act as medical oncologists to any extent, or do they always refer to hem/onc for ALL neoplastic disease?

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[Voxel]

Only if you are in the boonies and your patients have no way of getting to medical/surgical/radiation oncologists. Otherwise, I would most certainly recommend referral and that you as a general internist not treat them. They are trained to treat these diseases and keep up with advances in treatment that the general internist does not have the time nor desire to do so (usually). So the answer to your question is that general internists should not treat oncology patients.

 

[LR6SO4]

I am kinda interested in 'boonie' medicine and spent some time with a heme-onc last semester. Once a month she flew waaay up to northern Michigan (that would be the Upper Peninsula, connected to Wisconsin and only by a bridge to the rest of Michigan) to follow patients for 3-4 days. So even in rural areas the GP's still get help from the oncologists.