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| Diagnosing & Treating Cancer » The Cancer Care Team |
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The Cancer Care Team
oncologist:
An oncologist is a specialist in cancer who will be your
primary physician. He or she will analyse results of
investigations and prescribe the appropriate treatment and
follow-up therapy. However there are other medical
personnel in the cancer care team who each contribute to
your diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
oncology clinical nurse specialist:
a registered nurse with a master's degree in oncology nursing
who specializes in the care of cancer patients. Oncology
nurse specialists may prepare and administer treatments,
monitor patients, prescribe and provide supportive care, and
teach and counsel patients and their families.
pathologist:
a doctor who examines cells to determine the nature of the
tumour. For example, he or she will be able to tell you
whether the tumour is benign (non-cancerous) or malignant
(cancerous).
radiographer:
a trained medical specialist who is responsible for managing
the imaging equipment that is used for scanning, and to
obtain results that are of sufficient quality for the radiologist
to make a diagnosis. The radiographer is also responsible for
positioning the patient in the correct manner for the best
imaging results.
radiologist:
a doctor with special training in diagnosing diseases by
interpreting x-rays and other types of imaging studies. The
radiologist will advise the oncologist based on what he or she
can determine from the scanning procedures.
social worker:
a person trained to provide counselling and moral support
for cancer patients, particularly for patients who lack
resources.
surgeon:
in cancer treatment, the surgeon will be responsible for the
removal of the tumour where possible, or to relieve
symptoms should the tumour not be removed in its entirety.
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