Oncology is the study of cancer. An oncologist is a doctor who treats cancer and provides medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer. An oncologist may also be called a cancer specialist.
The field of oncology has 3 major areas based on treatments: medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology.
Medical oncologists treat cancer using medication, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
When you first learn you have cancer, learning about your diagnosis and making treatment decisions can be difficult. For instance, there may be several treatment options, and cancer research continues to explore and discover new treatments and treatment improvements. That is why it is important to find experts with experience treating your type of cancer to provide you with information. In order to decide on a cancer treatment plan you are comfortable with, you may want to consider getting a second medical opinion.
Nerves are bundles of fibers in the body that help you sense, feel, and move. The nervous system is the name of the network that the nerves form.
There are 2 parts to the nervous system: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord, a thick cord of nerves inside the spine. All other nerves in the body are a part of the peripheral nervous system. Peripheral nerves send information between your brain and your body.
Listen to the Cancer.Net Podcast: Dental Health During Cancer Treatment, adapted from this content.
Many cancer treatments have side effects that affect a person's mouth, teeth, and salivary glands. Salivary glands make saliva. Dental and oral side effects can make it difficult to eat, talk, chew, or swallow. Fortunately, with good care, you and your doctor can lower the risk of these side effects and manage them if they do happen.
Your child will likely have many medical tests and procedures. These help doctors learn more about your child's cancer and guide treatment decisions.
It is common for both children and parents to feel anxiety about tests and procedures. But with preparation, you can lower anxiety for you and your child.
Children's fears may depend on their age and personality:
Infants and younger children. Often, they fear being separated from their parents.
Older children. Often, they fear pain.
A bone scan is a test that can help doctors diagnose problems with your bones. It is a useful tool for finding cancer that has started in or spread to the bone. It can also help your doctor check how well treatment is working for cancer in the bone.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that can be used to find a tumor in the body and to help find out whether a tumor is cancerous. Doctors also use it to learn more about cancer after they find it, including:
The size and location of the tumor
To plan cancer treatments, such as surgery or radiation therapy
To see how well treatment is working
Long-term side effects of cancer treatment are side effects that last months or years after cancer treatment ends. Sometimes, these side effects may not start until after treatment ends. They are sometimes called late effects. Many people who have had cancer treatment have a risk of developing long-term and late side effects.
Many cancer treatments affect fertility temporarily or permanently. Fertility is the ability to father a child. Infertility is the inability to father a child.
Before treatment begins, talk with your health care team. Ask how treatment could affect your fertility and about the options for preserving fertility.
Fertility problems in men from cancer or its treatment occur in 2 main ways:
