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Types of cancer specialists

There are three main types of cancer specialists depending on the nature of cancer treatment, including medicine, radiation, and surgery. Each treatment is handled by different specialists. A person might not need all the three types of treatments. It actually depends on the type of cancer as well as the stage of the cancer.

The three types of cancer specialists are:

• Radiation oncologist
• Surgical oncologist
• Medical Oncologist

About Radiation Oncologist

A radiation oncologist is a physician who specializes in the controlled use of ionizing radiation for the treatment of cancer. Radiation oncology is a branch of oncology, which is often used in combination with the other two branches of medical oncology and surgical oncology to treat a cancer patient.

A radiation oncologist works alongside medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, radiologists, interventional radiologists, internal medicine specialists as well as physicists who form a part of multidisciplinary cancer team at the hospital. The team, based on the patient’s clinical status, develops a comprehensive treatment plan. A radiation oncologist determines the dosage and delivery method of radiation therapy to be given to the patient as per the current clinical status and medical history.

Procedures Performed by Radiation Oncologist in United Arab Emirates

Based on the area of specialization, a radiation oncologist offers procedure not limited to the following:

• Brachytherapy
• Internal modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Stereotactic radiosurgery
• Stereotactic body radiotherapy (Cyberknife, Gammaknife, X-knife)
• Proton therapy
• Radiation therapy
• 3D conformal radiation
• Adaptive radiation therapy (ART)
• Proton therapy
• Radioactive iodine therapy
• Radionucleotide therapy

About Surgical Oncologist

A surgical oncologist is a surgeon specialized in treating cancer that requires surgery to remove tumors and other cancerous tissues. He performs surgeries for removing tumor or cancerous tissues and also the nearby susceptible tissues. Surgical oncologists also perform certain types of biopsies to help in the diagnosis of cancer. They work in coordination with other doctors, specialists and clinicians to help in reducing the pain, side effects, clinicians and speed up the recovery after the surgery.

A surgical oncologist is usually the first specialist doctor you will see if your primary care physician suspects that you have cancer. Surgical oncologist then performs biopsies by taking a small portion of the tissues so that it can be checked for the presence of cancer.

If the presence of cancerous cells gets confirmed, the surgical oncologist will perform surgery to remove the tumor or cancerous cells and the surrounding tissues. The surgeon will also help you prepare for and recover from any surgical procedure that you have to undergo during your cancer treatment.

Most of the patients have cancer surgery combined with other treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy or hormone therapy. Sometimes, non-surgical treatments (also known as neoadjuvant therapy) or post-surgery treatments (also known as adjuvant therapy) help in the prevention of cancer growth, metastasis or cancer recurrence.

Procedures Performed by Surgical Oncologist in United Arab Emirates

• Laparoscopy
• Robotic surgery
• Appendectomy
• Bowel resection
• ERBEJET2
• Flex Robotic System
• HIPEC Treatment
• Vascularized lymph node transfer surgery
• Lymphaticovenular bypass surgery
• Pneumonectomy
• Robotic surgery (da Vinci Surgical System)
• Thoracotomy
• Thyroidectomy
• Tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP)
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)

About Medical Oncologist

A medical oncologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients who have cancer of any tissue or organ. He provides treatment of cancer using systematic therapies- like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy- and biological agents.

A medical oncologist usually works in conjunction with other multi-disciplinary cancer specialists, for instance, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists or interventional radiologists, to give the best treatment outcomes. Your medical oncologist takes care of your chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy.

Medical Oncologists are the specialist that you are going to visit most often and for the longest period of time in the duration of your cancer treatment. This is because your oncologist is the specialist who will modulate your general care and coordinate your course of treatment with other specialists as well.

Procedures Performed by Medical Oncologist in United Arab Emirates

A medical oncologist performs the below, but not limited to, procedures:

• Blood tests – to look for the markers of cancer
• Imaging tests
• Bone marrow aspirate or biopsy
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Immunotherapy