Clinical oncologists are the physicians who treat cancer patients. In most cases, when a person is diagnosed with cancer, a clinical oncologist takes charge of the patient's overall care through all phases of the disease. Surgical oncologists are physicians who specialize in surgical aspects of cancer including biopsy, staging, and surgical resection of tumors.
Radiation oncologists are physicians who specialize in treating cancer with therapeutic radiation.
In addition to these three primary disciplines, ASCO recognizes pediatric oncology as a fourth discipline within the field of oncology that is separate and distinct. Pediatric oncologists specialize in the treatment of children with cancer and incorporate all three primary oncology disciplines in the care of their young patients. These cancer specialists require a unique subset of skills because children with cancer have unique problems that require specialized pediatric care across the entire spectrum of treatment. Education and Training Clinical oncologists complete between four and seven years of post-graduate medical education depending on their primary discipline. In the United States, medical, radiation, and pediatric oncology are recognized as medical specialties by the American Board of Medical Specialties.