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If you have been diagnosed with cancer, finding a doctor and treatment facility
for your cancer care is an important step to getting the best treatment possible.
Cancer Consultants maintains a cancer care provider directory to help cancer patients
find a doctor or cancer center specializing in cancer care in their region and throughout
the United States.
You can find a doctor or cancer clinic in each of the 50 states or locate a specific
cancer care provider by doctor or clinic name using the search application below.
The cancer doctors in the Cancer Consultants Provider Directory are identified as
those specializing in:
Medical Oncology: Medical oncologists are doctors that specialize
in the non-surgical management of all cancers. Medical oncologists treat cancer
and manage the patient's course of treatment.
Hematology: Hematologists are doctors that specialize in blood
diseases and cancers of the blood.
Cancer of the Head and Neck: Otolaryngologists specialize in the
treatment of cancer of the head and neck.
Gynecologic Cancers: Gynecologic oncologists specialize in the
surgical and medical management of cancer of the female reproductive organs
Stem Cell Transplant Specialists: Specialize in performing stem
cell transplants as a treatment of cancer.
Pediatric Cancers: Pediatric oncologists specialize in the management
of all cancers in children.
Radiation Oncology: Radiation oncologists specialize in the use
of radiation to treat cancer.
Urology: Urologists specialize in the surgical treatment of kidney,
bladder, and prostate cancer, and other cancers of the genitourinary system.
Choosing a Doctor and Getting High-quality Care
If you’re like most people who have been diagnosed with cancer, you want to receive
the best care possible. This means understanding your disease and its treatment,
and finding a doctor and cancer clinic that can provide you with the best care possible.
The following tips can help guide your search for the best cancer care:
1. Understand Your Diagnosis
The most important step is to find out as much specific information as you can about
the details of your cancer diagnosis. All cancer treatment information is discussed
by cancer type and stage. Knowing the type and stage of cancer can help you search
for relevant information and find the best doctor and clinic.
Once you understand your diagnosis, a next step is to learn about standard treatment
options for your type and stage of cancer. If your doctor offers you a treatment
plan that is inconsistent with what you’ve learned from your research, you may not
be able to assess on your own whether it’s a better or worse approach, but it will
allow you to initiate informed discussions with your doctor and to seek a second
opinion.
2. Get Input from People You Trust
As you begin research into your diagnosis and treatment, you may also want to ask
people you trust for a physician referral. For example, your primary care doctor
or a local oncologist may be able to refer you to an expert in your type of cancer.
3. Get the Care That Your Diagnosis Requires
Keep in mind that although many doctors will be able to provide high-quality cancer
care, those who focus on your specific type of cancer may have important additional
expertise. Finding a physician who focuses on your particular type of cancer may
require some travel and visiting a large cancer center.
In particular, patients considering a stem cell transplant, diagnosed with rare
cancers, or requiring specialized treatment or surgery may benefit from highly specialized
care. Studies show that physicians and cancer programs that have a focused interest
on a specific treatment or cancer tend to produce better treatment outcomes.
4. Consider a Second Opinion
Another step that many cancer patients take when selecting a doctor is to get a
second opinion. Second opinions are a common practice in any area of medicine that
is complex and that has multiple treatment options. Getting a second opinion allows
patients to become more informed about their cancer and treatment options and also
provides reassurance. For tips on when to seek a second opinion, go to
When to Seek a Second Opinion.
5. Be Comfortable with Your Choice
In addition to finding a doctor with expertise in your type of cancer and pursuing
a second opinion if you choose, keep in mind the value of finding a doctor with
whom you feel comfortable. Some patients, for example, believe strongly in the role
that complementary and alternative medicine plays in treatment. When choosing a
doctor, these patients will need to consider how much it matters to them that their
doctor either does or does not endorse those beliefs.
6. Understanding Physician Training and Credentials
When choosing a doctor for your cancer care, you may find it helpful to know some
of the terms used to describe a doctor’s training and credentials. Most physicians
who treat people with cancer are medical doctors (they have an M.D. degree) or osteopathic
doctors (they have a D.O. degree). The basic training for both types of physicians
includes 4 years of premedical education at a college or university, 4 years of
medical school to earn an M.D. or D.O. degree, and postgraduate medical education
through internships and residences. This training usually lasts 3 to 7 years. Physicians
must pass an exam to become licensed (legally permitted) to practice medicine in
their state. Each state or territory has its own procedures and general standards
for licensing physicians.
Specialists are physicians who have completed their residency training in a specific
area, such as internal medicine. Independent specialty boards certify physicians
after they have fulfilled certain requirements. These requirements include meeting
specific education and training criteria, being licensed to practice medicine, and
passing an examination given by the specialty board. Doctors who have met all of
the requirements are given the status of "Diplomate" and are board-certified
as specialists. Doctors who are board-eligible have obtained the required education
and training, but have not completed the specialty board examination.
After being trained and certified as a specialist, a physician may choose to become
a subspecialist. A subspecialist has at least one additional year of full-time education
in a particular area of a specialty. This training is designed to increase the physician's
expertise in a specific field. Specialists can be board-certified in their subspecialty
as well.
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