Pharma IQ Glossary: Oncology

Oncology is the 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), follow-up of cancer patients after successful treatment, palliative care of patients with terminal malignancies, ethical questions surrounding cancer care, screening efforts of the relatives of patients (in types of cancer that are thought to have a hereditary basis, such as breast cancer).