Oncology is the medical subspecialty dealing with the study and treatment of cancer. A physician who practices oncology is an oncologist. The term originates from the Greek onkos (ονκος), meaning bulk, mass, or tumor and the suffix -ology, meaning "study of."

Oncologists may be divided on the basis of the type of treatment provided.

• Surgical oncologists: who are surgeons who specialize in tumor removal.
• Medical oncologists: who deal with using medication or chemotherapy to treat cancer.
• Radiation oncologists: people who specialize in the treatment of cancer with radiation, a process called radiotherapy.
• N.B. In the UK, the majority of oncologists are known as Clinical Oncologists, and are fully qualified to practice both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In most other countries these disciplines are more clearly segregated.

Oncologists may also be categorized on the basis of the patient type.

• Gynecologic oncologist: who specialize in the treatment of cancer in women. He/She can performs and give chemotherapy and assists in radiation therapy for these cancers in women.
• Pediatric oncologist: who specialize in the care of children with cancer.

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Permanent Oncology Job in Long Beach California with Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
Seeking a Board-Certified Breast Medical Oncologist who will provide medical direction, coordination and oversight for a leading, hospital-based Southern California breast center. The incumbent will
Permanent Oncology Job in Southeast Kansas with Rural Health Education & Services
Medical Oncologist to join busy multi-specialty group. The 190-bed admitting hospital provides full service general acute care including CT, ER, home health, hospice, ICU, MRI, nuclear medicine, ultrasound,
Permanent Oncology Job in Yuma Arizona with Yuma Regional Medical Center
Outstanding opportunity for an oncologist seeking quality of medicine and quality of life. Seeking BC/BE Oncologist to join a well established and well respected medical oncology practice in the desert

Annals of Oncology - current issue

in this issue
Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0000

The use of sedation to relieve cancer patients' suffering at the end of life: addressing critical issues
Cherny, N. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0000

What is the role of chemotherapy in estrogen receptor-positive, advanced breast cancer?
Barrios, C. H., Sampaio, C., Vinholes, J., Caponero, R. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0000
Most breast tumors depend on female sex hormones for development and growth, thus being amenable to endocrine therapies. In the management of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, advanced breast cancer, conventional wisdom dictates the use of endocrine therapy for patients with good prognostic features, whereas chemotherapy is recommended for the treatment of visceral crisis. There is, however, considerable uncertainty regarding the best initial strategy for patients with poor prognostic features other than visceral crisis, such as small-volume visceral involvement and a short disease-free interval after adjuvant therapy. In this article, we examine the role of chemotherapy in ER-positive, advanced breast cancer. Our review of the literature suggests that, in the absence of visceral crisis, endocrine agents should always be considered a major option for the initial treatment of ER-positive, metastatic breast cancer due to their proven efficacy and favorable toxicity profile. Although certain chemotherapy agents can induce higher response rates and more rapid responses, which are desirable effects in particular situations, the up-front use of chemotherapy does not seem to influence the overall outcome of the disease. In the subset of patients with epidermal growth factor type 2-positive disease, on the other hand, current data still do not support the use of endocrine agents alone.

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