Oncologist

Oncologists are doctors who diagnose and treat cancer. They often act as the main healthcare provider for someone with cancer—designing treatment plans, offering supportive care, and sometimes coordinating treatment with other specialists. 

What Does an Oncologist Do?

Oncology is the study of cancer. Oncologists specialize in managing and treating patients throughout the course of the disease, which involves:

• Confirming a patient’s initial diagnosis
• Explaining the cancer diagnosis and stage
• Providing all possible treatment plans and offering recommendations
• Overseeing the course of treatment
• Helping patients manage symptoms and side effects of both the disease and the treatment plan

Oncologists typically have a specialty within the field, so they often expand a patient’s team to include the right doctors for a chosen treatment plan. 

Hematology oncologists are board-certified to practice hematology as well, treating patients with blood conditions including:

• Anemia, a condition that results from a shortage of red blood cells
• Sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that can affect circulation
• Different types of thrombosis, which occur when blood clots block blood vessels