General Information
- What is Cancer?
In the Latin language, cancer meant crab. Ancient civilizations associated this disease with crabs, since these animals are very protective of their homes. Similarly, cancer was very hard to remove from the body. Since ancient times, healers, doctors, and modern medical practitioners are working hard to eradicate this stubborn disease. Cancerous tissues are sometimes referred to as malignant–from the Latin word meaning bad or ill - and the disease as malignancy. The medical field working on the treatment of cancer is called Oncology.
Cancer occurs when certain cells in the body divide in an uncontrolled fashion. The human body is normally capable of controlling unwanted cell division through different mechanisms. Sometimes cells lose the capability of this control because of external factors such as smoking and radiation or internal factors such as genetic mutations. These rogue dividing cells may grow and create tissue aggregates called tumors, invade neighboring tissues, or travel to distant parts of the body, causing metastases. When cancer cells are detected in organs other than their tissue of origin, this is called metastatic disease.
- Who is an oncologist?
An oncologist is a doctor who was specifically trained to treat cancer. Medical oncologists are internal medicine doctors who specialize in treating cancer with chemotherapy. Radiation oncologists use radiation to kill cancer cells with a procedure called radiotherapy. Surgical oncologists are various types of surgeons who do the surgeries to remove cancer from the body.
Although some cancers are primarily treated by medical oncologists and others by surgeons, it is important to remember that cancer treatment is teamwork. Many patients require care from different doctors through their treatment course. At Oncoist, we believe in the power of teamwork. As a patient of Oncoist, you will have a team of experts from different specialties working to provide the best care possible.
- What is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a medical procedure in which a Medical Oncologist uses special drugs to remove cancer cells from the body. Doctors prescribe these drugs in pre-specified periods. Total treatment time can last from just one day to several weeks. Oncologists choose the combination of drugs by consulting with the latest guidelines, considering patient-specific factors such as age, other illnesses, and patient preferences. Chemotherapy treatment intervals–also called chemotherapy cycles–are tailored according to each patient’s unique situation.
Medical oncology is a rapidly changing field. New treatments are introduced all the time and specialists work hard to keep up to date with new treatments that are developed almost daily. Oncologists must follow the literature closely to offer patients all the available treatment options. As cancer treatment is teamwork, medical oncologists consult with other cancer specialists such as radiation oncologists and surgeons to make sure their patient is getting the best treatment possible.
- What is Radiotherapy?
In radiotherapy, radiation oncology specialists use radiation beams to remove cancerous cells from the body. Radiotherapy was first applied at the beginning of the 20th century and has been successfully used to treat millions of patients since. Radiation beams cause DNA damage in rapidly dividing cells (cancer cells usually divide faster than healthy cells), therefore effectively disabling them. Like chemotherapy, radiotherapy is also administered in cycles to reduce toxicity to healthy tissue and minimize side effects.
There are different technologies used to deliver radiation beams. While Cobalt-60 devices use radioactive materials, linear accelerators (also called LINAC) use an advanced technology called linear particle acceleration to generate the radiation beams. LINAC is a relatively new technology and is now replacing the older Cobalt-60 devices worldwide. At Oncoist, our radiotherapy units are equipped with LINAC devices to deliver the most effective and comfortable radiation treatments.
- What is the role of surgery in Cancer Treatment?
Sometimes cancer must be surgically removed from the body to completely eradicate the disease. Different types of surgeons are specialized to address the tumors in different parts of the body. For example, oncological general surgeons remove cancer from internal organs and breasts; gynecologic oncologists work on malignancies of the female reproductive system; and head and neck surgeons treat cancer of paranasal sinuses, upper airways, and neck area.
Oncological surgeons work in close coordination with other members of the oncological care team to adjust the timing of surgery that would best fit to the patient’s treatment plan. Often chemotherapy or radiotherapy must be administered after the surgery–called adjuvant treatment-or before the surgery–called neo-adjuvant treatment. To collaborate the effort of all these different specialists, doctors keep regular meetings called tumor boards or oncology boards to discuss each patient’s treatment plan in detail.
- How is cancer diagnosed?
Usually, the first diagnosis is made by a specialist caring for the part of the body where cancer originates from. For example, a dermatologist might diagnose skin cancer while an internal medicine specialist might diagnose cancers of the blood cells, such as leukemias. When cancer is suspected, a biopsy is often obtained from the suspicious tissue and a pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope. After the diagnosis is made, the patient is referred to an oncology specialist for further assessment and treatment.
The oncologist conducts some tests to determine the extent of the disease. Computerized Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are used to see the degree of the local extension of cancer. A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is used to screen the whole body for any metastases. Your oncologist may also order some blood tests such as tumor markers to gather additional information about the type of cancer and decide on a treatment plan.