radiation oncologist
Meaning of radiation oncologist: A radiation oncologist plans and oversees radiation treatment for cancer, working alongside surgeons and medical oncologists as part of a coordinated care team.
Definition of radiation oncologist
A radiation oncologist is a physician who specializes in treating cancer using radiation therapy, which uses high energy beams or radioactive sources to damage the DNA of cancer cells and limit their ability to grow and divide. Training includes medical school followed by a dedicated residency in radiation oncology.
A radiation oncologist evaluates which patients are likely to benefit from radiation, determines the type, dose, and schedule of treatment, and oversees its delivery in collaboration with radiation therapists, medical physicists, and dosimetrists, who plan and deliver treatment precisely to the intended area while limiting exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Radiation oncologists work as part of a broader cancer care team that typically also includes a surgical oncologist and a medical oncologist, coordinating radiation with surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatment depending on the type and stage of cancer involved. A radiation oncologist is distinct from a radiologist, who primarily interprets diagnostic imaging rather than delivering treatment.
Used in a sentence
The radiation oncologist recommended a course of radiation therapy following the patient's surgery.
Good to know
A radiation oncologist, who plans and directs radiation treatment, is a distinct specialist from a radiologist, who primarily interprets imaging studies rather than delivering cancer treatment.
Word origin
Where “radiation oncologist” comes from
Formed from Greek onkos, meaning mass or bulk, and logos, meaning study, the roots of oncologist, describing a physician who studies and treats tumors, here using radiation.