Oncologist

/ɑːŋˈkɑːlədʒɪst/ noun

Definition

A medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer in patients using various therapies and medical techniques.

Etymology

From Greek 'onkos' (mass or tumor) and '-logist' (one who studies); the term emerged in modern medicine as cancer research became specialized in the late 1800s.

Kelly Says

Oncology is one of medicine's newest specialties—cancer was so little understood that specialized doctors only became common in the 20th century, and remarkable breakthroughs in cancer treatment have happened mostly within the last 50 years.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.