Specialists

Oncology

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Oncology

What is Oncology

Oncology is a field of medicine that deals with diagnosis, treatment, prevention and detection of cancer. An Oncologist is a doctor that specialises in treating people with cancer.

There are many different types of cancer and therefore many different way to treat it. The 3 main mechanisms of treatment are :

Medical treatment with medications such as chemotherapy, immune suppression and hormone therapy.
Surgical treatment to physically remove the tumours.
Radiation therapy using radiation to target and kill cancer cells.

Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth and reproduction of a cell that then mutates and creates new blood vessels to supply the increased growth. It then develops resistance mechanisms to prevent the body from fighting it. Certain cancers can metastasise which means spread, to other parts of the body.

Signs and Symptoms of cancer

Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, groin or above the collarbone
Lumps in the breasts/testicles
Bleeding – such as vomiting blood, blood in your poo, coughing up blood, blood in your urine, unusual vaginal bleeding or persistent nosebleeds
Skin changes – new moles appearing or moles that are changing in size/shape/colour. Skin rashes that are not healing.
Abdominal symptoms – persistent bloating, changes to bowel habit, nausea and vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of skin or whites of the eyes)
Headaches, changes to vision, changes to behaviour or personality, seizures
Persistent cough, shortness of breath, recurrent chest infections
Persistent hoarse voice
Unexplained weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, recurring fevers

Tests & investigations

Examples of tests done in Oncology

Blood tests

Different blood tests can be used to aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer.

A full blood count can reveal a high white cell count which can be seen in leukaemia and other blood cancers.

A low haemoglobin indicates anaemia which can be common and a benign cause like iron or vitamin deficiencies but could also be a sign of blood loss as seen in bowel cancer.

There are various tumour markers such as pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer that can be checked to monitor the cancer during treatment but also may point to a suspicion that cancer may be present. These blood tests are not used as a sole diagnosis for cancer.

Imaging

Imaging is frequently used to detect cancers.

The type of imaging will depend on the part of the body affected.

This could be ultrasound, CT scanning, MRI scanning, PET scanning and nuclear bone scans.

For more information on diagnostic imaging see here

Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical procedure that involves taking a small sample of body tissue so it can be examined under a microscope.

A tissue sample can be taken from almost anywhere on or in your body, including the skin, organs and other structures.

Biopsies of suspected tumours allows a closer look at the tissue affected to determine if they are malignant (cancerous).

Endoscopy

Endoscopy is a medical procedure that allows a doctor to look inside the body using an instrument called an endoscope. An endoscope is a long, thin tube with a small camera on the end that can be passed into the body through a natural opening such as the mouth or anus.

There are different types of endoscopy procedures depending on which part of the body is being examined.

Bronchoscopy – to look inside the lungs
Cystoscopy to look inside the bladder
Hysteroscopy to look inside the uterus and fallopian tubes
Colonoscopy to look inside the colon
Gastroscopy to look into the oesophagus, stomach and small intestine

Bone marrow biopsy

A bone marrow biopsy is where a small sample of bone marrow is taken from the back of the hip bone (pelvis) or occasionally the breastbone (sternum). This is looked at to see if there are any abnormal cells.

This is an invasive test using a needle to drive deep into the bone. This test can help diagnose blood cancers like leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. It can also be used to monitor the effect of treatment.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA)

A fine needle aspiration (FNA) is used to see whether there are any cancer cells in the lymph nodes.

A doctor puts a very fine needle into a lymph node and withdraws some cells into a syringe.

The sample is sent to be checked under a microscope. This is how doctors find out whether an abnormal area or lump is malignant (cancerous) or non-malignant.

What's involved?

Consultation Process

Symptom assessment

The consultant will ask you to describe your symptoms and concerns and take a medical history.

Physical examination

The consultant will carry out an appropriate physical examination.

Tests and investigations

The consultant will arrange appropriate tests and investigations such as blood tests and imaging.

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Who are the clinicians?

Our team of clinicians are made of GPs, Pharmacists, Physicians Assistants and Nurses, all of whom are employed by Virtually. All our clinicians are UK based with some working remotely.

Can I see you face to face?

For some conditions we may request to see you in person at our clinic. You are always welcome to book a face-to-face appointment with our team if you wish, however you may have to wait slightly longer for in-person appointments than you do for digital appointments.

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