Oncologist the Life Savers. Natasha White. Southern Technical College

Transcription

1 Running head: ONCOLOGIST 1 Oncologist the Life Savers Natasha White Southern Technical College

2 Body Part A Introduction ONCOLOGIST 2 Note, each new paragraph is Indented 5 spaces Oncologist the Life Savers Roughly 12.7 million people discover they have cancer each year (World Health Organization, 2015)! According to the World Health Organization (2015), cancer is the leading cause of death across the globe. An even more staggering statistic confirms that in the United States one out of every four deaths is caused by cancer (Carson-DeWitt, 2002). These statistics are very concerning. To fully understand the meaning behind these statistics one should understand the meaning behind the term or word cancer. Cancer is a general term used to describe a disease of the genes (Carson-DeWitt, 2002). However the term cancer does not describe one disease, but a large group of over one hundred diseases; the one thing these diseases have in common is they form from abnormal cell growth (Carson-DeWitt, 2002). Thus, the statistics are daunting because cancer is a general term applied to many different diseases. If broken down by cancer type, the stats would seem less severe. Cancer is not a new phenomenon. Evidence of cancer has been discovered in written descriptions that date as far back as 1700BC and scientist have discovered cancer in the remains of Egyptian mummies (Narnis, 2013). As stated earlier, cancer is not new to human history, but efforts to understand, diagnose, and treat cancer has grown tremendously within the past few decades (Narnis, 2013). The recent decades increased knowledge of cancer is attributed to the many years doctors and scientist fought alongside patients combating the disease. {Considering the staggering number of diagnosed cancer patients and the number of deaths attributed to cancer, it is important to know more about The highlighted sentence is the thesis statement. This is the most important sentence in the paper because it explains to the reader why and what the paper is about. Your thesis is not highlighted like this example, but you need to have one. the type of doctors specialized in diagnosing and treating cancer patients, the qualifications of said doctors, and the ethical standards of patient care that these doctors must follow.} Thesis A specialized doctor known as an oncologist is called to the forefront to help combat and treat the disease of cancer (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2013). There are roughly

3 Body Part B ONCOLOGIST 3 three main types of Oncologist: medical, surgical, and radiation (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2013). Each of these types of oncologists is named based on their primary mode of treatment. For instance, a Medical Oncologists specializes in treating cancer with chemotherapy, and other medications (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2013). A Surgical Oncologist specializes in the removal of the tumors and surrounding tissues during operation, and performs biopsies if needed (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2013). Finally, a Radiation Oncologist specializes in treating cancer with radiation therapy (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2013). The American Association of Clinical Oncology also recognizes other types of Oncologist who are more specialized based on problem area or age of patient. Due to the number of diagnosed cancer patients, oncologists are in high demand. The World Health Organization (2015) projects the need for oncologist will increase by 18% by the year It should be a concern of cancer patients and relatives of cancer patients, to know the qualifications of the doctors treating cancer. Cancer patients may feel more secure knowing that oncologists are very well-educated doctors who specialize in treating multiple types of cancers with the end goal of saving lives. Oncologists go through rigorous training along with their many years of education before they ever treat a cancer patient. Five additional years of training in internal medicine and oncology are required after completing medical school (Kelcher, n.d.). In total an oncologist must have a four year bachelor s degree, a medical school degree (four or more years), and five years of training in both internal medicine and oncology (Kelcher, n.d.). This is not an easy process. Each of the aforementioned steps possess many requirements that must be met before a physician can call him/herself an oncologist. For instance, before an applicant is accepted into medical school, he/she must complete and submit passing scores from the Medical College Admissions Test (Kelcher, n.d.). While a student is in medical school the Each new paragraph is following the thesis statement. The 3 main points are each being explored and supported in 3 separate paragraphs.

4 Body Part C ONCOLOGIST 4 last two years consist of rotations throughout a hospital, which is the equivalent of hands-ontraining (Kelcher, n.d.). Once all training and requirements are complete to become a physician, any physician wanting to pursue a career in oncology must first obtain certification in internal medicine (Kelcher, n.d.). In order for a physician to even meet the requirements for The American Board of Internal Medicine, a physician must complete a three-year residency program in internal medicine (Kelcher, n.d.). In addition, The American Board of Internal Medicine also requires physicians who have completed an oncology residency program, demonstrate their clinical competence, pass a certification examination in medical oncology, and hold a valid physician s license (Kelcher, n.d.). Once the all requirements are met and the process is complete, then a physician can become an oncologist. Cancer is a scary word filled with a lot of meaning and many emotions. Hearing a diagnosis of cancer can make a patient feel hopeless, fearful, and possibly confessed. Especially considering that cancer is an all-encompassing term used to describe over a hundred different diseases that can begin almost anywhere in the body and its tissues (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2015). This is why it becomes imperative oncologist are honest about the diagnosis and make patients feel comfortable, informed and positive. Here is one example reported by Simon (2014), where a cancer survivor, Kathy Harris, describes how her oncologist s honesty helped her. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital depressed and crying until my doctor said to me, Example of a long quote. 'You can do 1 of 2 things. You can sit here and cry and moan or you can take back your life and be strong and positive.' I took his advice and I became stronger. I became positive.

5 Conclusion ONCOLOGIST 5 Kathy Harris s experience is just one of many cancer survivors. It s important to note that Harris s oncologist was honest, yet hopeful and her doctor s honesty motivated her to get better, fight, and stay positive. According to Simon and Kodish (2004) oncologist have many ethical responsibilities to make a patient feel comfortable and relay the reality of diagnosis. For example, an oncologist must always explain the cancer diagnosis and stage of cancer to the patient, discuss all of the treatment options, recommend the best course of treatment, deliver high-quality, compassionate care, and maintain the patient s quality of life by managing pain and other symptoms or side-effects (Simon & Kodish, 2001). In-text citation (author last name, date) Cancer is a serious disease that is only increasing in severity and diagnosis. This year alone 12.7 million people will be diagnosed with cancer (World Health Organization, 2015). Yet there is no obstacle too large for oncologists. Oncologists are on the front-lines everyday trying to save patients stricken with cancer. Oncologist are in high demand, it is projected that the need for oncologist will increase by 18% by the year 2022 (World Health Organization, 2015). This is most in part due to the overwhelming amount of people who will be diagnosed with cancer. Oncology is a very specialized profession, requiring years of training and residency. There are many forms of specialization within the field of oncology most of which are based and named after the type of method used to treat cancer. All their hard work isn t for nothing because oncologists are very much appreciated by their patients. Many cancer survivors, like Kathy Harris, would most certainly consider their oncologists life savers.

6 ONCOLOGIST 6 References The references page is always titled References. This page is always at the end of the paper on a separate page. References are listed in alphabetical format according to author s last name. If no author is available references are listed according to editor or title. American Society of Clinical Oncology. (2013, September). Types of Oncologists. Retrieved from Cancer.net: American Society of Clinical Oncology. (2015). Doctor Stories. Retrieved from Cancer.net: Carson-DeWitt, R. (2002). Cancer. In D. S. Blanchfield, & J. L. Longe, The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (pp ). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from 01.lirn.net/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prod Id=GVRL&userGroupName=lirn33421&tabID=T003&searchId=R3&resultListType=R ESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=4&c ontents Kelcher, L. (n.d.). Oncologist Requirements. Retrieved from Chron: Narnis, B. (2013). Oncology. In The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health (3 ed., Vol. 4, pp ). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from 01.lirn.net/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prod Id=GVRL&userGroupName=lirn33421&tabID=T003&searchId=R4&resultListType=R ESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&c ontents Simon, C. M., & Kodish, E. D. (2001). Cancer, Ethical Issues Related to Diagnosis and Treatment. In S. G. Post, Encyclopedia of Bioethics (pp ). New York: Macmillan

7 ONCOLOGIST 7 Reference USA. Retrieved from 01.lirn.net/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX &v=2.1&u=lirn33421&it=r&p=GVRL &sw=w&asid=628c cc9ffbdba10cd29f56002 Simon, S. (2014, November 4). Breast and Lung Cancer Survivor Says Life is Worth Fighting For. Retrieved from The American Cancer Society: st-and-lung-cancer-survivor-says-life-is-worth-fighting-for World Health Organization. (2015, February). Cancer Fact Sheet. Retrieved from World Health Organization: