What is a medical oncologist? A medical oncologist is a
physician specializing in nonsurgical cancer treatment. They
focus on hormone and drug treatments, such as chemotherapy. Many
cancer patients visit a medical oncologist periodically
throughout treatment: this specialist diagnoses the disease and
prescribes cancer treatment options. Medical oncologists may
also be involved in ongoing cancer-fighting research and may
refer patients to participate in clinical trials.What is cancer?
Cancer is mutated cells that affect an area or areas of the
human body. Some cancerous cells manifest in the form of tumors
while others appear as abnormalities in blood cell types. Cancer
can form in any area of the internal or external body, including
bone, blood, organs and tissue. If left untreated or not treated
in time, certain cancers can spread, or metastasize, to other
areas of the body. The severity of cancer is described as Stage
0, Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV, but exact staging
varies by type of cancer.