From the Editor

Oncology is the branch of medicine that studies the tumours (malignant or cancers) and seeks to understand their development, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. A medical practitioner is called an oncologist when he/she practices oncology. The term originates from the Greek "Onco" meaning bulk, mass or tumour and the suffix- "logy" meaning "study of".

The oncologist often co-ordinates multidisciplinary care of cancer patients, which may involve physiotherapy, counseling, clinical genetics and many others. On the other hand the oncologist often has to liaise with pathologists on the exact biological nature of the tumour that is being treated. Their is tremendous amount of research being conducted on all frontiers of oncology, ranging from cancer cell biology to chemotherapy treatment regimens and optimal palliative care and pain refief.

Our cover this week is on Oncology. As told before, oncology is the study of tumours that is cancerous tumours (malignant), we will discuss about cancer in this issue. Cancer is again a cell that has lost its normal control mechanisms and thus has unregulated growth. Cancer can develop from any tissue within any organ. As cancer cells grow and multiply, they form a mass of cancerous tissue that invades adjacent tissues and can spread (metastasise) around the body. Most cancer form a tumour but some, like leukemia, do not.

Cancer is one of the greatest killers for all age groups, and can affect almost any part of the body. We don't know everything there is to know about it, but we already know enough to prevent atleast 30 per cent, cure and prolong life of another 30 per cent and extend palliative care and allow death with dignity to the rest 30 per cent or so.

From the Editor

Oncology is the branch of medicine that studies the tumours (malignant or cancers) and seeks to understand their development, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. A medical practitioner is called an oncologist when he/she practices oncology. The term originates from the Greek Onco meaning bulk, mass or tumour and the suffix- logy meaning study of. The oncologist often co-ordinates multidisciplinary care of cancer patients, which may involve physiotherapy, counseling, clinical genetics and many others. On the other hand the oncologist often has to liaise with pathologists on the exact biological nature of the tumour that is being treated. Their is tremendous amount of research being conducted on all frontiers of oncology, ranging from cancer cell biology to chemotherapy treatment regimens and optimal palliative care and pain refief. Our cover this week is on Oncology. As told before, oncology is the study of tumours that is cancerous tumours (malignant), we will discuss about cancer in this issue. Cancer is again a cell that has lost its normal control mechanisms and thus has unregulated growth. Cancer can develop from any tissue within any organ. As cancer cells grow and multiply, they form a mass of cancerous tissue that invades adjacent tissues and can spread (metastasise) around the body. Most cancer form a tumour but some, like leukemia, do not. Cancer is one of the greatest killers for all age groups, and can affect almost any part of the body. We dont know everything there is to know about it, but we already know enough to prevent atleast 30 per cent, cure and prolong life of another 30 per cent and extend palliative care and allow death with dignity to the rest 30 per cent or so.