Are oncologists assigned to treat specific types of cancer? how does that work?

Depends: All oncologists are trained to diagnose, stage, and treat cancers specific to their specialty. As a radiation oncologist, I am trained to participate in the multidisciplinary management and treatment of all solid tumors. Our board certification is based on training of all solid tumor sites.However, some oncologists may decide to specialize in an area of their choice particularly in academic center.

Some are: In general there are three main types of oncologists: medical oncologists who give chemotherapy and medicines to fight cancers, surgical oncologists who help remove and biopsy tumors , and radiation oncologists who deliver different types of radiation to kill tumor or tumor cells. Within each category the oncologist or institution can choose to focus their practice in specific types or treat all.

Some subspecialize: Depending on their practice, an oncologist can focus on one type of cancer (i.e. Breast) or treat a broad array of cancers. Medical oncology training includes a broad knowlege base of a cancer treatment and is not limited to one type of cancer or one organ system.