Medical oncology entails diagnosing and treating patients with cancer. It is broad in the sense that doctors can take on a variety of roles, including patient care, teaching, basic research, and clinical research. Because of the strong foundations necessary to effectively treat cancerous tumors, the pathway to becoming a medical oncologist in Houston is somewhat extensive. Certification involves training as a specialist after graduation from medical school in internal medicine and a subsequent fellowship in oncology. Many Oncologists also become specialists in Hematology as well. Oncology itself is a very broad field, including various other focuses like pediatric oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, and gynecological oncology.
In terms of everyday lifestyle, work for an Oncologist in Houston can be categorized between outpatient and inpatient settings. In outpatient settings, physicians serve as the coordinator of care for the typical cancer patient. Our physicians administer chemotherapy and recommend any additional steps, such as the possibility of surgery or radiation therapy. Discussions with surgeons and other involved team members are integral to ensure the proper management of treatment regimens, as action plans are combined in consideration of other therapies in order to ensure the best possible results for each individual patient. Inpatient settings are generally reserved for more ill patients, in which extra time spent at the hospital is necessary to provide for proper recuperation and/or examination.
The bulk of our patients are seen in an outpatient setting, in specialized locations like Hematology Oncology Associates of Houston, where no extended periods of stay are necessary. Inpatient care is generally provided for in large-scale hospitals, like Memorial City Memorial Hermann Hospital.
One of the largest rewards of the specialty for our doctors and staff includes having the unique potential to make such a large life-saving and life-enhancing impact on individual patients who seek intensive care to treat their serious conditions. Delicate bedside manner is also a must for us, as direct interactions with our patients are a much-valued highlight.
Houston Oncology has a fundamental reliance on great strides made in both the basic research and clinical research forums, as both patient care and research constantly evolve in response to this type of progress. Medical oncology is unique in the sense that both research and patient care are intimately linked, as a concerted, dedicated front is established to make advances that may lead to future therapies that are effective for specific cancer cases. Although important developments have indeed been carried forth, progress in terms of new discoveries can be considered frustratingly slow at times. Nonetheless, with the promise and optimism that the field wields for those who are afflicted with cancer, it is highly comforting to know that medical oncologists like Dr. Abramowitz and Dr. Morkas are working tirelessly everyday to optimize quality of care for cancer patients everywhere.