Oncologists face one of the most mentally and emotionally challenging positions a healthcare professional can choose to assume; The role of an oncologist, however, can be extremely rewarding because of their ability to diagnose health problems, perform life-saving surgeries, and see patients improve and hopefully recover from cancer. Dealing with a terminal illness like cancer not only affects the patient and his family, it also affects the doctor who assists him. To cure this disease you need to have the courage to endure long nights without sleep and to put your personal problems aside and replace them with those of someone else. The doctor providing this care is an oncologist. They stand by the patient and help improve their health. Not only do they improve the health of others, but they also serve as a personal cheerleader who encourages them during difficult times. Cancer begins with a mutation in a cell that causes a change in growth and division; this shows that even the smallest thing can be fatal ("What is cancer?"). Cancer is a potentially fatal disease that can affect people both physically and emotionally. And every year it takes the lives of millions of people. The number of people affected by cancer is growing ("Cancer Facts and Statistics"). According to Jacque Wilson, “Increasing cancer patients are outnumbering doctors, and financial problems will translate into problems with cancer care in the United States” (“Report: Cancer will be the No. 1 killer in the United States” ). “By 2030, the global burden is projected to increase to 21.4 million new cancer cases and 13.2 million cancer deaths simply due to population growth and aging, plus… half of the paper … supervise the patient's radiotherapy treatments. These physicians coincide with other members of the radiation therapy team to develop the patient's treatment plan and to ensure that each treatment is administered safely and correctly ("Treatment Team"). They also monitor the patient's progress and, if necessary, modify the treatment to make sure the radiation is doing its job while minimizing side effects. Before, during, and after treatment treatments, radiation oncologists collaborate with other oncology physicians to increase radiation throughput (“Treatment Team”). Radiation oncologists are the only doctors with the expertise and training to prescribe and administer radiation therapy treatments. They receive extensive training in cancer medicine, managing side effects caused by radiation, and the safe use of radiation to treat disease (“Treatment Team.").