Oncology

Oncology, (meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix ''logy'', meaning "study of") is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''.

Oncology is concerned with: the diagnosis of any cancer in a person, therapy (E).g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other modalities), followup of cancer patients after successful treatment, palliative care of patients with terminal malignancies, ethical questions surrounding cancer carE). Screening efforts: of populations, or of the relatives of patients (in types of cancer that are thought to have a hereditary basis, such as breast cancer).

The most important diagnostic tool remains the medical history: the character of the complaints and any specific symptoms (fatigue, weight loss, unexplained anemia, fever of unknown origin, paraneoplastic phenomena and other signs). Often a physical examination will reveal the location of a malignancy.

Diagnostic methods include:

Biopsy, either incisional or excisional; endoscopy, either upper or lower gastrointestinal, bronchoscopy, or nasendoscopy; Xrays, CT scanning, MRI scanning, ultrasound and other radiological techniques; Scintigraphy, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, Positron emission tomography and other methods of nuclear medicine; Blood tests, including Tumor markers, which can increase the suspicion of certain types of tumors or even be pathognomonic of a particular diseasE).

Apart from in diagnosis, these modalities (especially imaging by CT scanning) are often used to determine operability, i.E). whether it is surgically possible to remove a tumor in its entirety.

Generally, a "tissue diagnosis" (from a biopsy) is considered essential for the proper identification of cancer. When this is not possible, "empirical therapy" (without an exact diagnosis) may be given, based on the available evidence (E).g. history, xrays and scans.)

Occasionally, a metastatic lump or pathological lymph node is found (typically in the neck) for which a primary tumor cannot be founD). This situation is referred to as "carcinoma of unknown primary", and again, treatment is empirical based on past experience of the most likely origin.

An oncologist is a physician whose duty is to diagnose and treat cancer. These specialized doctors explain the process of the disease and what stage it is in at the time of diagnosis to the patient, discuss treatment options and recommend the best treatment plan. Oncologists can specialize in medical, surgical, radiation or pediatriC).
A medical oncologist is a doctor who diagnoses and treats the entire spectrum of cancerous diseases. They specialize mainly in medicinal treatments, like chemotherapy, analgesics and hormones (medicines to reduce pain) for the management of cancer. They also monitor and take care of the patient through the course of the diseasE). Surgical oncologists specialize in many types of tumors, most commonly being breast cancer, endocrine and melanoma tumors. This job requires special training from general surgery residencies. A radiation oncologist specializes in treating various cancers using radiation therapies. These oncologists use electron and gamma ray equipment to destroy cancerous cells. Radiation therapy is commonly used on most kinds of cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and skin cancer. Pediatric oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer in children. This job is one of the most challenging roles because many cancers still have a high mortality ratE). Losing a patient is extremely hard to overcome emotionally, especially when the patient is a chilD). It takes a person with exceptionally strong commitment and a gentle bedside manner to accept this type of responsibility.

Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart. Cardiology is a very serious part of centre’s services. The cardiology department provides patients with a full range of diagnostic procedures including EKG and others. These procedures are supervised by trained physicians who are called cardiologists, who are the specialists in Echocardiography, which is performed in centers. Working together with a laboratory and X-ray facilities, a cardiologist can diagnose and treat patients who have problems with chest pain, blood pressure, arrhythmias, congenital heart defect, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, electrophysiology and other heart problems. Treatments are designed along the most advanced methods and are always coordinated with every patient’s personal physician. An inpatient service is also equipped with different facilities whenever a more serious problem occurs.

There are some subspecialties of cardiology:

- Cardiac electrophysiology is studying of the electrical properties and conduction diseases of the heart.

- Echocardiography is using of ultrasound to study the mechanical function of the heart.

- Interventional cardiology is using of catheters for the treatment of structural and ischemic diseases of the heart.

- Nuclear cardiology is using of nuclear medicine to visualize the uptake of an isotope by the heart using radioactive sources.

The primary responsibility of the heart is to pump blood around the body. The heart is a muscle that squeezes blood and functions like a pump. Each part of the heart is susceptible to failure or dysfunction and the heart could be divided into the mechanical and the electrical.

The electrical part of the heart is centered on the periodic contraction of the muscle cells that is caused by the cardiac pacemaker. Dysfunction of the electrical system manifests in many ways and includes Parkinson syndrome, ventricular fibrillation and heart block.

The mechanical part of the heart is centered on the fluidic movement of blood and the functionality of the heart as a pump. The mechanical part is ultimately purpose of the heart and many of the disorders of the heart disrupt the ability to move blood.

There exist other disorders of the heart that disrupt both the electrical and the mechanical properties of the heart. A more poignant disorder is myocardial infarction or heart attack.

Disorders of the heart lead to heart disease and cardiovascular disease and they lead to a significant number of deaths: cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths and caused 30% of all deaths in 2008.