There are several straightforward ways that an oncologist can become involved in your care. The most common is through a referral from your primary physician, who may recommend a specialist he or she has worked with before, has confidence in and is an expert in the specific kind of cancer care you need. Sometimes you may know a specialist yourself, either because of your own experience or the experience of a family member or friend.
It is unusual these days that you have to choose a specialist without any help from family, friends or general physicians. But if you do have to start from scratch, the American Cancer Society or other medical societies in your area can supply you with names of several qualified physicians.
When you are choosing an oncologist, you can look into his or her credentials in a number of ways, the easiest being to check the American Medical Directory or the Directory of American Specialists at your local library. The latter lists doctors who have had special training and have demonstrated their competence to a recognized medical certification board (such as the American Board of Surgery or the American Board of Internal Medicine). You can also call PDQ (Physicians Data Query) or, from within the U.S., 1-800-4-CANCER, a National Cancer Institute resource, for a list of specialists. There are excellent oncology specialists who have had full training and are competent and up to date yet are not board-certified. But if you are starting from scratch, the board certification may give you a little extra reassurance that you are in good hands.
