Hematology and Oncology

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=509511

Hematology-Oncology(Heme/Onc) usually refers to the department
that sees patients with blood and platelet disorders and cancers that
are treated with a non-surgical therapy, such as bone marrow
transplant, stem cell transplant, pheresis, or chemotherapy. (Think
?liquid? therapy when differentiating heme/onc from oncology) Types of
cancer typically seen in a heme/onc department would be leukemias,
lymphomas, Hodgkins, non-Hodgkins, multiple myelomas and immunological
disorders. So, an oncologist is not a hematologist, or vice versa. But
a hematologist oncologist is a hematologist that specializes in the
diseases mentioned above. A hematologist oncologist would not treat
operable cancers such as prostate cancer.

Oncology usually refers a department that sees cancers that require
surgical treatment such as ovarian cancers, throat and digestive
system cancers, thyroid cancer, etc. Patients would be seen by an
oncologist or a surgeon with experience in cancer surgery. Some
doctors have received special training, or have experience with a
certain kind of medicine, and may see and treat patients themselves
without referring them to a specialist.


Because disorders and diseases seen in heme/onc often overlap, it is
more effective to have hematologists working closely with oncologists.
Many patients see both ?heme? and ?onc? doctors during the course of
their therapy. A breast cancer patient, for example, may be treated
with a bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant, and her
oncologist would work in conjunction with the hematologist. Another
benefit to doctors and patients is the heme/onc clinic is equipped
with special microscopes and often have their own lab, which enables
the doctors and medical technologists to make rapid diagnosis, or
monitor patients quickly and efficiently. Hematologists and
oncologists are well trained specialists that have the skills to
identify cells under the microscope that general practice doctors
often don?t posses.