“What is the treatment that a radiologist can give for breast cancer?”

Your wife probably has lumpectomy which she will need radiation to her breast to control microscopic disease. Radiation oncologist is doctor specialize in cancer treatment using radiation .Side effect is mainly pigmentation of skin, small risk of scar in the lung

The treatment is via a radiation oncologist. The radiation therapy is localized to the affected breast and not the whole body. Some side effects may be similar to a sunburn and with thickening of the skin of the treated breast post radiation therapy. The radiologist is involved in interpretation of the imaging findings and is part of the team approach to patient care.

The short answer is none. That falls to 1. Surgeon, 2. Oncologist and/or 3. Radiation Oncologist.

All the best.

A radiologist specializing in mammography interprets mammograms, ultrasounds and MR of the Breast. They also do biopsies or sampling of tissue suspicious for malignancy. (There are different kinds of sub specialties in radiology- for example, I sub specialize in Neuroradiology and trauma radiology/ emergency imaging.) A radiologist with subspecialty training in breast imaging is also called a mammographer. There are also general radiologists who usually practice in smaller hospitals where they have to do a little bit of everything. Sub specialists, such as mammographers, only practice their subspecialty and nothing else. They are experts and are usually found in large tertiary care hospitals, where there is enough volume for them to fill their schedule, typically at universities or the Cleveland Clinic for example.

An oncologist decides what treatment is appropriate for patients with breast cancer. There are different types of treatment. An oncologist will help determine what treatment is best based on the type of cancer and what kinds of treatments are available in your community. You may want to explore options at other institutions if you are not happy with the options provided. You should be aware that there are oncologists that specialize in radiation treatment. But you will usually not see that doctor first. A radiation oncologist is not a “radiologist” though, even though they plan the dose of radiation therapy. The terminology can be confusing.

Your wife may have been referred to a radiation oncologist by the primary oncologist. He will typically work with a radiation oncologist and a breast surgeon. The primary oncologist will decide the course of treatment and what options are best (Chemo and/or radiation and/or surgery and or clinical trials.) You should ask the oncologist about what treatment options are best for your wife. I hope that helps. Good luck to you both.
Dr. Jennifer Benjamin

Hi, a radiation oncologist and breast surgeon are usually the doctors involved with your wife’s treatment. The radiologist was the doctor who find the cancer in your wife to all the other doctors to treat her.

Hope that helps,

Dr Cox