Oncology and Hematology

What is Oncology & Hematology?

Oncology is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In most cases, when a patient is diagnosed with cancer, a clinical oncologist takes charge of the patient's overall care and treatment through all stages of the disease.

Within the field of clinical oncology, three primary disciplines are generally recognized: medical oncology, surgical oncology, and radiation oncology. Medical oncologists are physicians who specialize in treating cancer with medicine/chemotherapy. Surgical oncologists specialize in surgical aspects of cancer, such as biopsy, staging, and surgical resection of tumors. Radiation oncologists specialize in treating cancer with therapeutic radiation.

Hematology is the medical specialty that pertains to the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and/or investigation of blood disorders. Since blood is essential for human life, the science of hematology profoundly affects the understanding of many diseases.

Hematologists use the patient's medical history, physical findings, specialized clinical laboratory tests, and evaluation of tissue specimens to assist in the treatment of blood disorders.