MEDICAL ONCOLOGY (1) INTRODUCTION (2) MEDICAL ONCOLOGY PROGRAMS ACROSS CANADA (3) UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA PROGRAM

Transcription

1 MEDICAL ONCOLOGY (1) INTRODUCTION Medical oncologists are physicians who have specialized in the assessment and management of patients with cancer. They are trained to use systemic drugs in the treatment of cancer, and to administer these therapies to patients who either have localized or metastatic malignancy in need of systemic therapy or whose cancer has potentially been cured by surgery but for whom further adjuvant systemic therapy improves their outlook. The role of the medical oncologist is to discuss the treatment options with patients, supervise the therapy and manage any complications of disease and/or treatment that may arise. All such patient management is done in consultation with other clinicians within the context of multidisciplinary meetings and clinical networks. (*) Some people are confused about the distinction between clinical and medical oncologists. They are the two main medical specialties that actively manage patients with non-hematological malignancy. They often work in partnership, and both give systemic therapy to patients, but only the clinical oncologists administer radiotherapy. However, this simple definition by exclusion hides a number of other differences in work-pattern, approach and focus, which this document clarifies. (*) (2) MEDICAL ONCOLOGY PROGRAMS ACROSS CANADA Programs across Canada are not matched through CaRMS. Direct application must be made to the Medical Oncology Director of each unit. Some hospitals have their own department while others are under Internal Medicine. (3) UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA PROGRAM PROGRAM CONTACT Dr. Piotr Czaykowski Medical Oncology CancerCare Manitoba ON McDermot Avenue Winnipeg, Mb R3E O9V PHONE: (204) FAX: (204) marie.field@cancercare.mb.ca Program Information Currently we have four residents/fellows in the program two each in the first and second years.

2 Resources CancerCare Manitoba is charged by an Act of the legislature of Manitoba with responsibility for cancer prevention, detection, care, research and education for the people of Manitoba. As a Centre of choice, CCMB is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those living with cancer and blood disorders, and to improving control of cancer for all Manitobans. We are based out of two facilities in Winnipeg: the MacCharles Site at Health Sciences Centre, and the Tache Site at St. Boniface Hospital. These two sites are only 5 km apart. Each disease-site specific rotation includes clinics in both hospitals, providing access to a wide spectrum of clinicians and patients. Currently we have 10 Medical Oncologists between the two facilities seeing approximately 2000 new patients per year. Our program includes links to a lively research environment. CancerCare Manitoba is extensively involved in clinical trials, with affiliations with the National Cancer Institute of Canada s Clinical Trials Group, and with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, and with involvement in a number of industry-sponsored trials. Faculty members are expected to be productive on an academic level, and interests range from involvement in basic science research in breast cancer, CLL and prostate cancer (with close ties to the highly-regarded Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology), to Clinical Epidemiology research with collaboration with our Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Department. Curriculum We offer a two-year program in Medical Oncology that meets the requirements of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The first year is comprised of mandatory rotations including: ) Three months in Hematology, (The Hematology rotation is focused largely on malignant hematology, including one month on the Leukemia/Stem Cell Transplant service.) Three months in Radiation Oncology, One month in Palliative Care, One month in Gynecologic Oncology, and Four months in Medical Oncology. The second year includes: Six months of Medical Oncology rotations, plus Six months of elective time. We encourage our residents to spend; one month in Pathology and one month in Community Oncology as part of their elective time, but residents with strong academic standing and defined research interests can reques the entire 6 months as a research elective block. Our Medical Oncology rotations are based on three disease site specific teams. There is no in-house call, and call is restricted to Medical Oncology rotations, and never exceeds one in four.

3 Trainees are provided with their own outpatient clinic early in their training program, in which they provide longitudinal care for patients with oncologic problems under the close supervision of one or more attending staff members of the Section. Graded responsibility for the care of both inpatients and outpatients is provided throughout the trainee s rotation. The program is closely linked with CancerCare Manitoba, the organization overseeing cancer care in our province. (4) RADIATION ONCOLOGY PHYSICIAN S SURVEY There are no Radiation Oncology Physician s Survey results available at this time. Planning your future as a doctor in Manitoba Footnote (*) Definition taken from URL: (January 10 th, 2007)

4

5