What exactly does a Radiation Oncologist do?

[UCLAMAN]

How are they different from Diagnostic Radiologists?

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[mpp]

They are quite different. Radiation oncologists oversee the care of patients receiving radiation treatment for cancer (and nowadays radiation treatment for other conditions).

 

[UCLAMAN]

So when someone has cancer and they go see and "oncologist," they are actually seeing a "radiation oncologist?"

Sorry I'm dumb...for some reason an oncologist was different than a radiation oncologist.

 

[carrigallen]

Originally posted by UCLAMAN
So when someone has cancer and they go see and "oncologist," they are actually seeing a "radiation oncologist?"

no, that's a medical oncologist. check the internal medicine forum for details about that, otherwise stop posting stupid questions, californian.

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by UCLAMAN
So when someone has cancer and they go see and "oncologist," they are actually seeing a "radiation oncologist?"

Sorry I'm dumb...for some reason an oncologist was different than a radiation oncologist.

There are radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and hematologists that all fall under the scope of oncologist.

 

[mpp]

Don't forget the surgical ongologist.

 

[jessimai1]

I am a med student and am seeing a radiation oncologist now for Hodgkins disease. He is very similar to the onc I saw during chemo, but he handles the radiation part only. I am at a very busy Cancer center andthe radiation oncologist always seems very busy. He spent a good deal of time with me at each visit though. He works very closly with the radiation techs, therapists and nurses.

 

[UCLAMAN]

Originally posted by carrigallen
no, that's a medical oncologist. check the internal medicine forum for details about that, otherwise stop posting stupid questions, californian.

I apologize for the "stupid" questions I'm asking. I was just seeking enlightenment for my stupidity. In fact, I'm going to seek for more enlightenment and ask more stupid questions.

So(from what I've gathered from the internal medicine forum so far)...

a surgical oncologist operates and removes tumors?

a medical oncologist deals with chemotherapy?

a radiation oncologist deals with radiation treatments?

what aspect of the blood does a hematologist deal with?(probably the dumbest question of the group...but hey...i'm a stupid idiot, remember?)

I'm also guessing, that aside from radiation oncology, the other specialties require IM residencies followed by a fellowship?

 

[meanderson]

IM physicians almost always do a residency that leaves them dual boarded in hemat/oncology.

And yes, hemat/oncology is a fellowship to be done after IM....just like cards or GI.

 

[Lloyd Christmas]

The surgical oncolgy specialty requires a residency in general surgery (5-7 years depending on if you do research) and then a fellowship (2-3 years) in surgical oncology.
If you are interested in surg onc check out the St. Jude website, they have a program that you can do in the summer after your first year of med school where you can "do" pediatric surg onc.

 

[mpp]

A hematologist is an expert in all disorders of the blood...unfortunately many of them are malignancies...leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma, etc. But they also treat people with non-malignant blood disorders such as hemophelia, anemias, porphyria, etc. Hematologists are also experts in tranfusion medicine.

 

[carrigallen]

don't forget the pediatric oncologist too.