Each year the overall incidence of newly diagnosed cancer cases is increasing. Well over 1,300,000 new cases are diagnosed annually with Radiation Oncology making a very significant contribution to the management of these patients. Between 50 and 60 percent of all patients diagnosed with cancer are candidates for radiation therapy. Approximately half of these patients will be treated for cure.
Radiation oncology is a very comprehensive specialty that overlaps with many disciplines.
Malignancies can occur in every location within the body. Therefore, students who are interested in pursuing a career in radiation oncology need to have a very comprehensive knowledge of most medical and surgical specialties. This knowledge should be not only textbook knowledge but also clinical experience as well. The basic science involved in radiation oncology can relate to every organ system in the body and includes both normal tissue and cancer biology with a special emphasis on their response to radiation. Basic understanding of the biology of cancer.