oncologist

Tumor diseases are among the most difficult disciplines in medicine. The. Deals with its relevant specialist knowledge oncologist with all possible types of cancer, in order to be able to take into account the special requirements of those affected.

What is an oncologist?

Tumors can appear anywhere on the human body. Due to the complexity of the diseases, it would be overwhelming for doctors of all disciplines to ask them to have additional knowledge about tumor diseases.

For this reason, the specialty of Oncologists created whose area of ​​expertise includes all types of cancer, regardless of where they appear on the body. In order to acquire the qualification to become an oncologist, medical professionals must first successfully complete the compulsory medical degree with a standard study period of six years and three months. This is followed by a specialist course in internal medicine, which generally takes another five years.

Since the oncologist does not want to specialize in the usual fields of internal medicine, but rather on tumor diseases, his further studies to become a specialist in internal medicine are structured differently.

Not only in terms of content, but also in terms of time, the training to become a specialist in internal medicine with a focus on oncology extends for a further year to a total of six years. After successfully passing the final exams, the examinee may finally call himself a specialist in oncology, or oncologist for short.

Treatments

Of the oncologist tries mainly to prevent a tumor from forming in the first place. The focus of this goal is the crystallization of risk groups. It has been shown that certain populations are at a much higher risk of potentially developing tumors in the near future.

This is exactly where the oncologist ties in. By trying to identify risk groups and take countermeasures, the number of cancers can be greatly reduced. When researching possible risk criteria, the research facility "German Cancer Research Center" with its headquarters in Heidelberg is of central importance. Here not only the practical findings of individual oncologists in Germany come together, but also new findings from other countries with which the German Cancer Research Center cooperates.

As progressive as current research may be, there are few mechanisms to date to successfully prevent cancer. For example, there is only one type of cancer to date, cervical cancer, the development of which can be prevented by a vaccine developed by humans. In most other cases, the oncologist restricts himself to treating existing tumors, for which a large number of different devices are available.

Diagnosis & examination methods

Depending on how far the tumor has progressed, the one chooses oncologist the specific treatment process. Conventionally, the classic surgical removal of the tumor is an option, whereby the oncologist works with surgeons who are experienced in the field, especially in those cases in which tumor removal proves to be particularly complicated.

In cases in which the cancer is not very advanced and still of a manageable size, the oncologist often opts for so-called radiation therapy. As the name suggests, the tumor is not operated on here, but destroyed with the help of rays. In order to achieve the desired success, gamma, X-ray and electron beams are used, which are subsumed under the term ionizing rays.

In radiation therapy, the oncologist takes advantage of the fact that tumors are usually much more sensitive to radiation than the rest of the healthy tissue. Here, too, the oncologist does not do the work independently, but always in cooperation with other specialists and even with medical physicists.

Another possible treatment option by the oncologist is the administration of drugs, such as cytostatics, which prevent further cell division and thus the spread of the tumor.

What should the patient pay attention to?

The question of which one oncologist As with all medical questions, the right one cannot be said in general terms. The decisive factor should not only be the professional competence of the oncologist, but also the interpersonal level.

A special approach is essential, especially in the case of severe illnesses in cancer patients. Networking the oncologist is also important. Since he can only achieve optimal results in most areas in cooperation with other doctors, patients should pay attention to the networking of their treating doctor, for example in which associations he is a member and whether the hospitals with which he cooperates have as good a reputation as him have yourself.