The goal of screening is to detect cancer at the earliest possible stage so that it can be treated most effectively. Treatments prescribed by radiation oncologists are delivered by a multidisciplinary radiation therapy team including a radiation physicist, dosimetrist, radiation technologist, and radiation therapy nurse. The multidisciplinary team includes physicians specializing in rehabilitation medicine, physical therapists, occupational therapists, enterostomal therapists, and others. Many cancer support groups are assisted by medical institutions that may provide facilities for meetings and provide cancer care professionals to lead information sessions or answer questions from group members. Head and neck surgical oncologists are surgical specialists in otorhinolaryngology, who treat cancers of the mouth, throat, sinuses and several other organs of the head and neck region.
Neurosurgical oncologists specialize in surgical treatment of brain, spinal cord, and nerve tumors.
Pediatric surgical oncologists are surgical oncologists who specialists in operations to treat cancers of infants and children. Thoracic surgical oncologists specialize in surgical treatment for cancers of the lungs, esophagus, and other organs inside the chest cavity. Urological surgical oncologists are urologists who specialize in treating cancers of the urinary system and male reproductive system. General surgical oncologists are general surgeons whose practice is focused on surgical treatment of cancers in most parts of the body, particularly those which other surgical oncology specialists do not treat. In that way, the amount of radiation needed to destroy tumor cells is delivered directly to the growth, but the amount of exposure to the area surrounding the tumor is minimal.