Oncology is the medical specialty focused on the study and treatment of tumors.
Oncology is the medical specialty dedicated to the analysis and treatment of both benign and malignant tumors . The concept has its origin in the Greek language and is composed of the words onkos (translated as "mass" , "tumor" ) and logos (in Spanish, "study" ).
Oncology, therefore, is responsible for detecting, fighting and controlling cancer . In the case of treatment, it considers the possibility of subjecting the patient to surgery and non-surgical therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
On the other hand, oncology is concerned with offering palliative care to those suffering from terminal illnesses , investigates the ethical issues associated with the care of individuals with cancer, and addresses genetic examinations focused on the detection of tumors.
Branches of oncology
It is possible to distinguish between different types of oncologists (as oncology experts are known). In this way, we can mention oncological surgeons (specialized in removing tumors), medical oncologists (who use antineoplastic drugs, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy) and radiation oncologists (those who propose radiation-based treatments).
On the other hand, according to the patients they care for, oncologists can be considered as gynecological oncologists (they treat female cancer) or pediatric oncologists (who care for children with various types of cancer), among others.
Oncology usually uses chemotherapy as a treatment.
Oncological surgery
When dealing with cancer, there are several currently existing treatments that are used depending on the type of disease, its condition and the characteristics of the patient in question. Thus, for example, we can talk about oncological surgery , which is one in which the doctor carries out the extraction of the cancer and the tissue that surrounds it.
At this time, it can be said that it is the most effective therapeutic modality to end this disease and it can be carried out with various objectives such as diagnosis, in which case it is called a biopsy , preventive, the study of the state of the cancer or the reduction of tumor mass.
Other oncology treatments
Radiotherapy is another of the most useful and used treatments to deal with this serious disease. Specifically, it consists of the use of high-energy X-rays with the clear purpose of reducing tumors and also eliminating the so-called cancer cells. When this alternative is most effective it is to eliminate small tumors.
cam, medicine complementaria y alternativa, es igualmente uno de los pilares en materia de tratamientos para muchos pacientes. En concreto esta propuesta consiste en reducir dolores, así como en prevenir o reducir los síntomas del cáncer o curar el mismo mediante el uso de una serie de terapias como pueden ser la inmunoterapia, la acupuncture o la homeopathy.
Regarding chemotherapy , it is necessary to remember that it is one of the treatments most used by oncologists and that it can be defined as polychemotherapy (when it is based on the combination of multiple cytotoxic drugs that have diverse mechanisms of action), adjuvant chemotherapy ( given after a main treatment such as surgery), neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy (recommended before undergoing surgical or radiotherapy treatments), and concomitant radiochemotherapy (also known as chemoradiotherapy, which is given concurrently or together to radiotherapy).