Pathologist - A physician with special training and experience in analyzing changes in body tissue caused by cancer. The information the pathologist gathers from the microscopic examination of tissue, cells and body fluids is essential in diagnosing cancer and evaluating the patient's chances for a positive outcome. At a multidisciplinary cancer center, cancer specialists from many disciplines discuss each patient and provide input on treatment recommendations. Each patient's individualized care plan is developed based on the team's recommendations with consideration of the patient's special needs. The treatment plan may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, surgery, biologic therapy, or a combination of these.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy may be taken orally or injected into a vein. Chemotherapy is usually a systemic treatment, meaning the drugs enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and can kill cancer cells anywhere in the body. Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Chemotherapy or radiation is sometimes used as adjuvant, or additional, therapy along with surgery to eliminate any microscopic disease that may remain. Hormone therapy alters the hormone balance in the body to prevent certain cancers from growing.