The Role of the Medical Oncologist
Dr. Robert Maki: So the role of the medical oncologist really is likely two-fold for most people. There tends to be a discussion often-times with the medical oncologist whether chemotherapy would be helpful or not in terms of increasing the chance of a cure after the tumor has been cut out for the first time. SO that's one series of questions that the medical oncologist will contend with.
The other major issue that they contend with is the question of: Is there other treatment available besides surgery and radiation if the tumor comes back? So that means systemic therapy, medications that you take by mouth or in your vein that go all over your body that hopefully shrink tumor that's come back. And really the goal there is ideally cure but hopefully to at least keep people alive longer.