by Hannah Farrell
Our expert witnesses in oncology specialise in the medical management of cancer. They are experts in treating a wide array of malignant diseases, with experience in delivering chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biological therapy, and targeted drug therapy. Our Experts in oncology have a profound knowledge of tailoring cancer therapy to treat malignancy of specific grade and staging.
With a strong understanding of appropriate standards of care and NICE Guidelines, in addition to a thorough knowledge of treatment pathways, our expert witnesses in oncology can advise on causation, breach of duty, current condition, and prognosis in individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer or have undergone cancer treatment.
See below for a brief overview on oncology. Alternatively, contact an expert witness in oncology to see how they can help.
What is Oncology?
Oncology is the study of cancer, a disease whereby there is uncontrolled rapid growth of certain cells in the body. These cells are referred to as malignant and may eventually spread to other parts of the body. As these cells rapidly grow and divide, they form a tumour. The malignant cells may secrete hormones such as insulin, which have an impact on the body. As the tumour grows and invades the surrounding tissues, it progressively damages nerves and blood vessels, and obstructs other organs and systems.
Each cell in the body has the potential to become cancerous, therefore there are many different cancers depending on the cell that is afflicted. The initial site of cancer is referred to as the primary tumour. As the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, these tumours are known as secondary tumours or metastases.
Cancer Grading & Staging
Cancers can be graded and staged. Staging describes the size of the tumour and whether it has spread (metastasised). One of the most common staging systems is the TNM staging system; T indicates the size of the tumour, N signifies whether there is any lymph node involvement and to what extent, and M illustrates if the cancer has metastasized. Grading describes what the cancer cells look like under microscopy, how “normal” the cells look, and indicate how fast the tumour is growing; the higher the grade, the faster the cancer is spreading. Cancer cells may also be described according to how well differentiated they are i.e., how the cancer cells are organised within the tumour, and how well developed the cancer cells are.
Oncological Treatments
There are various methods treating cancer, including:
- Chemotherapy
- Biological therapy
- Hormone therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Surgical excision
- Photodynamic therapy
- Stem cell transplant
- Targeted therapy
Complications of Cancer
One of the major complications of cancer is immunosuppression i.e., the body’s ability to fight infection is compromised. This may be a direct result of the cancer invading the bone marrow and inhibiting the production of white blood cells, responsible for fighting infection. The treatments used to fight cancer also commonly inhibit the body’s immune system. Neutropenic sepsis is a severe illness that often develops in individuals with cancer and who have a low neutrophil (type of white blood cell) count.