A doctor who specializes in treating people with cancer is called an oncologist. Usually, an oncologist manages care and treatment once a person is diagnosed with cancer. Although medical science has overcome many hurdles with regard to the management of cancer, still we have to go a long way.
A medical oncologist specializes in treating cancer with chemotherapy (the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, usually by stopping the cancer cells’ ability to grow and divide) or other medications, such as targeted therapy and oral (in pill form) chemotherapy.
A surgical oncologist specializes in the removal of the tumor and surrounding tissue during an operation. A surgical oncologist also performs biopsies (the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope).