What is Oncology?
Oncology is the area of medicine that deals with tumors and cancer. Oncology looks at diagnosis, treatment, follow up care, ethics, and screening of cancer. There are many different types of cancer including breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and thyroid cancer. Methods of diagnosing cancers include biopsy, endoscopy, x-rays, and MRI scans. These methods can even sometimes help determine if a tumor can is operable or not.
Typical treatments used by all types of oncologists to treat cancer include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy. Treatment depends on the type, diagnosis and severity of the cancer. Specialized fields of study within oncology include radiation oncology, surgical oncology, medical oncology, and interventional oncology.
Oncology Clinical Trials
Due to the large number of oncology clinical trials it is a field of study that is rapidly changing. In the UK there are large oncology clinical trials going on at various hospitals and being coordinated by a single organization. Cancer is a widespread and sometimes deadly disease, but in many cases it can also be cured. Patients can go on to live a long and healthy life.
Oncology clinical trials strive to find better ways to diagnose cancer earlier and to treat it quickly and effectively with as few side effects as possible. There are too many types of cancers to name, but a few of them include skin cancer, cervical cancer, liver cancer and many other types of cancer. If you have been diagnosed with cancer there is most likely an oncology clinical trial that could benefit from your participation.