The meaning of onco in the term Oncology is tumor/mass/bulk and logy in the later part of the word indicates study of. Therefore, Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study of tumors, otherwise called as cancer. A professional, who practices this branch of medicine is called as Oncologist. DM in Oncology is a three-year super specialty course, which is offered by the following government colleges in India:

Andhra Pradesh:

• Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati

• Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science, Hyderabad

Delhi:

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

Gujarat:

• The Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, Ahmedabad

Karnataka:

• Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore

Maharashtra:

• Baba Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai

• Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai

Tamil Nadu:

• Cancer Institute College of Oncological Sciences, Chennai

• Madras Medical College, Chennai

Eligibility for seeking admission to the DM in Oncology course:

For seeking admission to the DM in Oncology course in the above-mentioned government colleges, candidates must have completed their MBBS from an institution recognized by the Medical Council of India after which they must have done MD in pediatrics or general medicine from a recognized institution or they must have completed DNB/MNAMS in pediatrics or general medicine after MBBS.

Admission Procedure:

Admission to the DM in Oncology course is done based on the performance of the students either in the state level of national level entrance examination.

Course structure:

DM in Oncology course is offered in different stages like practical laboratory training, clinical oncology training, where in the following subjects are covered:

• Cancer biology

• Tumor immunology

• Cancer etiology

• Cancer epidemiology

• Cancer prevention

• Chemotherapeutic agents

• Principles of endocrine therapy

• Cancer screening and early detection

• Principles of imaging

• Principles of surgical oncology

• Principles of radiation oncology

• Principles of biotherapeutics

• Principles of bone marrow

In addition to the above-mentioned subjects, various other subjects are also covered in the course.

What does DM Oncology graduates do?

Oncologists normally take up the following tasks:

• Diagnosis of cancer in a patient

• Cancer screening efforts

• Ethical questioning surrounding cancer care

• Palliative care of patients with terminal malignancies

• Following up of cancer patients after successful completion of treatment

• Therapies pertaining to cancer like radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery

Future scope:

The super specialty course of DM in oncology has several sub-specialties and these professionals can develop their expertise or interest in the treatment of a particular type of cancer. Therefore, oncologists can be divided into the following types based on the type of specialty followed by them:

• Radiation oncologist: These specialist use radiation therapy for treatment of cancer in patients

• Surgical oncologist: These professionals follow surgical methods for treatment of cancer

• Medical Oncologists: These professionals use drugs for treatment of cancer

• Intervention oncologists: These professionals follow minimally invasive image guided tumor therapies

• Gynecological Oncologist: These specialists focus on cancer in reproductive system of women

• Pediatric Oncologist: These specialists are concerned with treatment of cancer in children.

All these professionals can get very good job opportunities in cancer institutions in India and abroad.