• 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

       Their work isn’t limited to cancer treatment, however. Many 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

• 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. 

Types of oncologists include:

• Medical oncologists who treat cancer with chemotherapy or immunotherapy

• Surgical oncologists who remove tumors in surgery

• Radiation oncologists who treat cancer with radiation therapy

• Other oncology specialists focus on treating cancer in specific areas of the body. For example, gynecologic oncologists treat uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancers, while a hematologist-oncologist focuses on blood cancers. There are also pediatric oncologists who specialize in cancers common in children and teenagers.