CANCER TREATMENT: Continued from page 9
Pathologist: A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and classifying diseases by lab tests and by looking at tissues and cells with a microscope. The pathologist determines whether a tumor is cancer, and, if it is cancer, the exact cell type( where it started) and grade( how fast it likely will grow).
Pediatric oncologist: A doctor who specializes in caring for children and teens with cancer( sometimes up to age 21).
Pediatrician: A doctor who specializes in caring for children and teens, including the prevention of illness, primary health care, and the treatment of diseases.
Plastic or reconstructive surgeon: A surgeon who specializes in changing the way a body part looks or in rebuilding or replacing removed or injured body parts. In reconstruction( rebuilding body parts), 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 or provider: The medical 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).
Psychiatrist: A medical doctor specializing in the causes, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Psychiatrists provide counseling and can also prescribe medicines or other treatments.
Pulmonologist: A medical doctor who has specialized experience and knowledge in the diagnosing and treating lung( pulmonary) conditions and diseases.
Radiation oncologist: A medical doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.
Radiologist: A medical doctor with special training in diagnosing diseases by interpreting( reading) x-rays and other types of imaging studies that make pictures of the inside of the body.
Surgeon: A medical doctor with special training who performs surgery to cut or remove tumors or parts of the body affected by a disease.
Surgical oncologist: A surgeon who specializes in performing surgery to treat cancer.
Urologist: A medical doctor who specializes in treating problems of the urinary tract( in both sexes) and the male reproductive tract.
Nurses can be generalists who care for many different types of patients. How much care they can provide and what type of procedures they can do depends on their license and training.
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