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If you've been diagnosed with cancer, chances are that you
will meet many different medical professionals during your cancer
treatment. This list describes the health professionals that might be
part of your care at some time during your cancer experience. You will
find that many of them are "specialists" or "specialize" in certain
areas of medicine or mental health. This means that they have had extra
training that focuses on a certain type of treatment, body system, or
health problem.
anesthesiologist
(an-es-thee-zee-AHL-uh-jist): a
doctor who
specializes in giving drugs or other agents (like gasses) that cause a
complete or total loss of feeling or relieve pain, especially during
surgery. These medicines may put the patient into a deep sleep so that
he or she is not aware of procedures or surgery.
case manager:
a person who coordinates the patient's care
throughout diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, often a nurse or cancer
nurse specialist. The goal of case managing is that one person is
directing or overseeing a patient's care. For example, a case manager
may guide the patient through the complex system of health care by
working with the health insurance company, getting quicker responses to
important questions, managing crises, and connecting the patient and
family to needed resources.
chaplain:
a member of the clergy who provides for the
spiritual needs of the patient and family. Often a chaplain is trained
to minister to patients of many denominations, faiths, and beliefs.
dermatologist
(der-muh-TAHL-uh-jist): a
doctor who specializes
in the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases. A dermatological
oncologist has specialized training in diagnosing and
treating skin
cancers.
dietitian
(die-uh-tish-un),
registered (RD):
an expert in the
area of nutrition and food who has at least a bachelor's degree and has
passed a national board exam. Many RDs specialize in areas like weight
management, exercise science, cancer care, or cardiac rehabilitation.
See also nutritionist.
doctor of
osteopathic (os-tee-uh-PATH-ick) medicine (DO): a
doctor with a licensing and educational background much like that of a
medical doctor (MD). They tend to be primary care physicians and are
specially trained to use a "whole person" approach to medicine rather
than just treating specific symptoms.
dosimetrist
(doe-sim-uh-trist):
a person who calculates and
plans the proper radiation dose (the amount, rate, and how the dose is
spread out) for cancer treatment or other disorders that require
radiation treatment. Some of the factors that determine radiation dose
include body size, sex, and age.
endocrinologist
(en-duh-kruh-NAHL-uh-jist): a
doctor who
specializes in diseases related to the glands of the endocrine system,
such as the thyroid, pituitary, pancreas, pineal, and adrenal glands.
enterostomal
therapist (en-ter-o-STO-mal ther-uh-pist): a
registered nurse who is qualified by education in an accredited program
in enterostomal therapy to teach people how to care for ostomies
(surgically created openings such as a colostomy or urostomy) and other
wounds. May also be called an ostomy
nurse or a wound
care nurse.
gastroenterologist
(gas-tro-en-ter-AHL-uh-jist): a
doctor who
specializes in diseases of the digestive (gastrointestinal or GI) tract
including the stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, gallbladder, and
bile duct
genetic
(juh-net-ick)
counselor: a
specially trained health
professional who:
- helps people decide whether to have genetic testing
done
- helps people understand information about the risk
of occurrence of a genetic disorder within a family
- provides information and advice about the courses
of action available depending on the results of genetic testing
- helps determine whatever screening and preventive
measures are best based on the test results
gynecologic
oncologist (guy-nuh-kuh-LA-jik on-kahl-uh-jist): a
doctor who specializes in cancers of women's reproductive organs.
gynecologist
(guy-nuh-KAHL-uh-jist): a
doctor who specializes
in women's health, including their sexual and reproductive function and
the diseases of their reproductive organs, except diseases of the
breast that require surgery.
hematologist
(he-muh-TAHL-uh-jist): a
doctor who specializes
in diseases of the blood and blood-forming tissues.
home health
nurse: a nurse who gives nursing care in the home,
including giving medicines and certain treatments; teaches patients and
families about their care; and checks on the patient to see if further
medical attention is needed.
medical
oncologist (on-kahl-uh-jist):
a doctor who is
specially trained to diagnose and treat cancer with chemotherapy and
other drugs. A medical oncologist is different from a surgical
oncologist, who mostly treats cancer with surgery and
other invasive
procedures.
neonatologist
(nee-o-nay-TAHL-uh-jist): a
doctor who
specializes in the care of newborn babies (until about 6 weeks of age,
longer for babies who are born prematurely).
nephrologist
(neh-frahl-uh-jist):
a doctor who specializes in
kidney diseases.
neurosurgeon
(nur-o-SUR-jun): a doctor
specializing in
operations to treat problems involving the brain, spinal cord, or
nerves.
nurse
practitioner (nurs prak-tih-shun-er):
a registered nurse
with a master's or doctoral degree who has advanced training and
clinical experience in a certain area of medical practice. Licensed
nurse practitioners diagnose and manage illness and disease, usually
working closely with a doctor. In most states, they may prescribe
medicines..
nutritionist
(noo-trih-shun-ist):
a term used sometimes
interchangeably with dietician, but there are no educational
requirements for someone to call themselves a nutritionist. See also
dietitian, registered.
occupational
(ok-you-PAY-shun-uhl) therapist (OT): a
licensed
and specially trained health professional who uses purposeful activity
to help people who are limited by physical illness or injury,
psychosocial problems, poverty or cultural differences, or the aging
process to be as independent as possible, prevent disability, and
maintain health. The practice of occupational therapy includes
evaluation, treatment, and consultation.
oncologist
(on-call-uh-jist):
a doctor with special training
in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
oncology
clinical nurse specialist (on-call-o-jee klin-ih-kull
nurs spesh-uh-list) (CNS): a registered
nurse with a master's degree
and advanced clinical practice in oncology nursing who specializes in
the care of cancer patients. Oncology CNSs have many different roles
depending on the setting. They may give direct patient or family care;
supervise staff caring for patients and families; do nursing research
related to cancer patients; or teach patients, families, and staff
about cancer, treatment, and side effects.
oncology
(on-call-o-jee)
social worker: usually a person with
a master's degree in medical social work who is an expert in
coordinating and providing help with the social and emotional needs of
the cancer patient and family. The oncology social worker may do
counseling, help patients and families manage financial problems, work
on housing or child care issues (when treatments must be taken at a
facility away from home), and help people cope with different types of
emotional distress.
ophthalmologist
(off-thuhl-MA-luh-jist): a
medical doctor who
specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases.
oral and
maxillofacial (max-ill-o-FAY-shul) surgeon: a surgeon
who specializes in surgery of the mouth, jaw, and face.
orthopedic
(or-thuh-pee-dik)
surgeon: a
surgeon who
specializes in diseases and injuries of the muscles and bones, also
called the musculoskeletal system.
otolaryngologist
(o-toe-lair-in-GOL-uh-jist): a
doctor who
specializes in diseases and injuries of the ear, nose, and throat. Also
called an ENT (which stand for ears, nose, and throat) or a head and
neck surgeon.
pain specialists:
oncologists, neurologists,
anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, or other doctors, nurses, or
pharmacists who are experts in pain management. In many places there is
a team of health professionals who are available to address issues of
pain control.
pathologist
(path-all-uh-jist):
a doctor who specializes in
diagnosing and classifying diseases by lab tests, such as looking at
tissue and cells under a microscope. The pathologist determines whether
or not a tumor contains cancer, and, if it is cancer, the exact cell
type and grade.
pediatric
oncologist (pee-dee-at-trick
on-call-uh-jist):
a
doctor who specializes in the care of children with cancer .
pediatrician
(pee-dee-uh-TRISH-un): a doctor
who specializes
in caring for children, including the prevention of illness, primary
health care, and the treatment of diseases.
physical (fiz-ick-uhl) therapist (PT): a
licensed health
professional, who has at least a bachelor's degree in physical therapy,
who helps examine, test, and treat physically disabled people by using
exercises, heat, cold, and other methods to restore or maintain the
body's strength, mobility, and function.
plastic and
reconstructive (re-kon-STRUCK-tiv) surgeon: a
surgeon specializing in altering or restoring appearance or in
rebuilding removed or injured body parts. In reconstruction, the
surgeon may use tissue from the patient or some special material with
the right consistency to hold a shape or form over time.
primary care
physician: the doctor a person would normally see
first when a medical symptom or problem comes up. A primary care doctor
could be a general practitioner, a family practice doctor, a
gynecologist, a pediatrician, or an internal medicine doctor (an
internist).
psychiatric
clinical nurse specialist (sy-key-AT-rick
klin-ih-kull
nurs spesh-uh-list) (CNS): a registered
nurse with a
master’s degree in psychiatric/mental health nursing who
specializes in the mental health of patients. The psychiatric CNS may
assess, counsel, or teach patients and/or families. He or she may also
have a role in supervising mental health care or doing research in
psychiatric nursing.
psychiatrist
(sy-ky-uh-trist):
a medical doctor specializing
in the causes, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and
behavioral disorders. Psychiatrists provide counseling therapy and can
also prescribe medicines or other treatments.
psychologist
(sy-kahl-uh-gist):
a health professional who
specializes in the study of the structure and function of the mind and
related mental processes in humans and animals. A clinical psychologist
has a graduate degree in psychology and training in clinical
psychology. He or she may provide testing and counseling services to
patients who may have an emotional or mental health problem.
pulmonologist
(pull-muh-nahl-uh-jist): a
doctor who has
specialized experience and knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of
pulmonary (lung) conditions and diseases.
radiation
oncologist (ray-dee-A-shun on-call-uh-jist): a
doctor who specializes in the use of radiation to treat cancer.
radiation
therapist: a person with special training to work
the equipment that delivers radiation therapy. This expert often helps
the patient get into the right position for treatment and then actually
gives the treatment.
radiation
therapy nurse: a registered nurse who is an expert
in the radiation therapy care of patients. This nurse may teach the
patient about treatment before it starts and help manage any treatment
side effects.
radiologic
technologist (ray-dee-uh-LAH-jick
teck-nah-luh-jist):
a health professional (not a doctor) trained to
position patients for x-rays, take the images, and then develop and
check the images for quality. The films taken by the technologist are
then sent to a radiologist to be read.
radiologist
(ray-dee-AH-luh-jist): a
doctor with special
training in diagnosing diseases by interpreting (reading) x-rays and
other types of imaging studies. Two examples are CT scans and MRI
(magnetic resonance imaging).
respiratory
therapist (RES-per-uh-tor-ee ther-uh-pist): a
graduate of a program which has been approved by the American Medical
Association designed to qualify the person for a national exam given by
the National Board of Respiratory Care. The respiratory therapist gives
respiratory care under the direction of a doctor. This can include
breathing treatments and managing patients on ventilators (breathing
machines). A CRTT or certified
respiratory therapy technician may also
examine the patient, collect information about lung function, and may
set up and maintain respiratory equipment, such as ventilators.
sex therapist: a
mental health professional with special
training in diagnosing and treating sexual disorders and problems with
sexual functioning. These problems may include erectile dysfunction
(ED, often called impotence), orgasm problems, premature ejaculation,
and lack of sexual desire. Sex therapy may include education, special
exercises, and work on improved communication between partners. It is
common for a sex therapist to work with a couple and not just an
individual.
social worker: a
health professional with special training in
dealing with social, emotional, and environmental problems associated
with illness or disability. A social worker may help people find
community resources, and provide counseling and guidance to help with
issues such as insurance coverage, nursing home placement, and
emotional distress.
speech therapist:
a person specially trained to work with
people who have problems with their speech, such as a loss of the
ability to speak or problems speaking clearly. Speech therapists treat
patients with exercises and other techniques to restore speech or other
communication skills and also make sure that patients can eat and drink
safely if they have swallowing problems.
surgeon: a
doctor who performs operations.
surgical
oncologist: a doctor who specializes in using surgery
to treat cancer.
thoracic
(thuh-ras-ick)
surgeon: a
doctor who performs surgery
to the chest cavity, including the lungs, ribs, the sternum (breast
bone), the diaphragm (the muscle that helps breathing), and other
associated muscles.
urologist
(yur-ahl-uh-jist):
a doctor who specializes in
treating problems of the urinary tract in men and women, and of the
genital organs in men.
Additional resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
We have selected some related information that may also be
helpful to you. You can order these materials from our toll-free
number, 1-800-227-2345, or read them on our Web site at www.cancer.org.
- Glossary: Definitions and Phonetic Pronunciations
(available
in Spanish as Glossary: Spanish Definitions of Cancer Related Terms)
National organizations and Web sites*
Along with the American Cancer Society, other sources of
information and support include:
Finding doctors:
American Board
of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
Toll-free number: 1-866-ASK-ABMS or 1-866-275-2267
Web site: www.abms.org
This is the umbrella organization for the 24 approved medical specialty
boards in the United States. The ABMS maintains a list of all board
certified physicians. Information about whether a specific doctor is
certified by an ABMS Board is available via the Web site or phone
number. But information on board certified physicians (such as medical
oncologists) in a geographic area, can be provided only on the Web
site.
American Medical
Association (AMA)
Toll-free number: 1-800-262-3211
Web site: www.ama-assn.org
Web site offers information on specific doctors, or you can search
databases for doctors by specialty and geographic location. (Choose the
"Doctor Finder" tab on the AMA Web site home page, and then click on
the "Patients" section.) Also offers the "Health Professions Education
Directory," a list of accredited programs for radiologic technology and
other allied health fields.
American Society
of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Web site: www.cancer.net
Offers listings of oncologists by geographical area, oncology
specialty, and/or board certification in the "Find an Oncologist"
database -- ASCO's worldwide member oncologist locator.
*Inclusion on
this list does not imply endorsement by the
American Cancer Society.
No matter who you are, we can help. Contact us anytime, day or
night, for cancer-related information and support. Call us at
1-800-227-2345
or visit www.cancer.org.
Last Medical Review: 08/21/2009
Last Revised: 08/21/2009
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