| ology is a branch of medicine that studies cancerous | | | | control. |
| tumors and develops methods and techniques for | | | | One of the more recent advances in radiation |
| treatment. Those who practice oncology are known | | | | oncology is TomoTherapy, a commercialized type of |
| as oncologists. | | | | IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy) that |
| There are two main branches of oncology: | | | | provides new and more effective radiation-delivery. |
| 1. Medical oncology | | | | TomoTherapy is a perfect example of the work |
| 2. Radiation oncology | | | | being done in radiation oncology. |
| Medical oncology has contributed chemotherapy, | | | | TomoTherapy does not actually provide any new |
| while radiation oncology has and continues to | | | | technologies, but rather integrates several older |
| contribute many new technologies, mainly in the form | | | | technologies into one detection and delivery system. |
| of new radiation-delivery methods. | | | | It also improves on the delivery of radiation to a |
| Although it may seem that radiation oncology is | | | | tumor site by rotating around the patient, allowing it |
| limited in its ability to expand, grow, and develop | | | | to deliver a higher dose of overall radiation from |
| increasingly improving treatments, the rapid | | | | several angles rather than many fixed beams of |
| advancements in computer and other technologies | | | | weaker radiation. |
| outside the medical field are assisting in the | | | | Delivering high amounts of radiation is one of the |
| advancement of radiation oncology, making it a | | | | best ways to treat cancer. However, since tumors |
| continuously changing field. | | | | are inside the body and surrounded by healthy tissue |
| Despite tough training and education requirements, it | | | | that you don’t want to damage, delivering |
| is the exciting changes in oncology that attract many | | | | such high amounts of radiation to effectively treat a |
| doctors to this field. As amazing as it may seem, the | | | | tumor is enough to kill the patient. But thanks to |
| advances in oncology from just the last two decades | | | | modern delivery methods, radiation oncologists have |
| has resulted in far lower mortality rates and survival | | | | been able to more precisely target the cancer while |
| rates astronomically higher than they were just 20 | | | | sparing healthy tissue, thereby allowing for higher |
| years ago. | | | | doses of radiation, without extra harm or danger to |
| Advances in cancer detection and public education | | | | the patient, which equates to faster recovery times |
| about cancer have also contributed to increased | | | | and higher survival rates. |
| survival rates. For most kinds of cancer, oncologists | | | | Every advancement in radiation oncology, and |
| are now able to successfully treat the patients | | | | oncology in general, leads to a day when cancer of all |
| thanks to early detection, allowing treatment to begin | | | | types will be as easily treatable as a broken arm. |
| before the cancer has a chance to grow out of | | | | |