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Oncology

Technicians involved in the discipline of Oncology must learn to treat the disease while managing their patients' potential discomfort and the owners' emotional needs. The balance can be a delicate one. Necessary tasks encompass a wide range of knowledge and skills:

•  The ability to prepare and perform bone marrow aspirates

•  The ability to gather and prepare tissue samples for culture and histopathologic diagnosis

•  A working knowledge of the mechanism of action of commonly used chemotherapy agents

•  A working knowledge of commonly used and recognized chemotherapy protocols

•  The ability to calculate drug dosages correctly

•  A working knowledge of the safe handling of chemotherapy agents from mixing, to delivery and disposal

•  A working knowledge of the side effects of chemotherapy agents and the ability to identify and ameliorate them

•  A working knowledge of the care and use of SQ venous access ports

•  A working knowledge of commonly used and recognized radiotherapy protocols

•  A working knowledge of the side effects due to radiation therapy treatments, and the ability to identify and ameliorate them

•  A working knowledge of BASIC radiobiology and physics

•  A working knowledge of radiation safety

•  A working knowledge of BASIC cell biology ( ie. Ca vs Sa )