Medicine Atlas

How Healing Is Practiced
Medical Specialties

Oncology

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Origin Cancer was described in antiquity, but oncology organized as a distinct specialty over the twentieth century, built on surgical, radiotherapeutic and, from mid-century, chemotherapeutic advances.

Oncology is the branch of medicine dealing with the study, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Cancer itself was described as far back as ancient Egyptian medical papyri, but oncology as an organized specialty is a twentieth century development, built on advances in surgery, radiotherapy after the discovery of X-rays and radioactivity, and chemotherapy from the mid-twentieth century onward. This atlas records what the historical record supports and is not medical advice.

Facts
Origin Period
Cancer was described in antiquity, but oncology organized as a distinct specialty over the twentieth century, built on surgical, radiotherapeutic and, from mid-century, chemotherapeutic advances. 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Notable Specialists

St. Jude was founded specifically for pediatric cancer research and treatment and remains one of the leading childhood cancer research centers in the world.

Sources
1. A History of Medicine
Lois N. Magner, CRC Press
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: History
St. Jude Children's Research HospitalNotable Specialists: St. Jude Children's Research HospitalView the Source
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