Would radiation theraptists or oncologist lose their jobs if the cure for cancer is found?

I plan to major in radiation therapy/oncology and wanted to know if by the time I graduate I will still have a job because I know the cure for cancer will soon be found. What are the chances of the cure for cancer to be found soon?

no, radiologists and oncologists look at other things besides cancer. growths can be cystic in nature (non-malignant) or radiologists can look at broken bones or pneumonia. lots of options for these two professions.

i dont think so. im sure they found a cure for cancer, it would be so expensive that radiation therapy would seem cheap... but then again if the cure was something so simple and cheap... then there may be a cut in the job field.

Cure for cancers is definitely gonna need oncologists n radiotherapists, cause this is what they try to do: cure cancer. And they succeed if the cancer is in early stages n has not turned too nasty. Hopefully soon they will find cure for the nasty ones too.

And if you are thinking about prevention, then I cannot imagine even prevention without oncologists...

You have made a really really good choice for your future. Go for it!

Look into oncology, as if the cure is found, and it doesn't involve radiation therapy, you're out of luck.

Also, onclologists will always have a job, as there are always going to be abnormal cases and there will always be someone who knows the disease well enough to be able to prescribe and treat the illness.

you might also want to look into molecular biology, as then you can do research and can even FIND the cure for cancer.
As a research specialist, you will always have a job.

A radiation therapist is a physician who has had additional specialized training in using radiation to treat human disease. (This specialist differs from the radiologist, whose primary role is one of diagnostician). An oncologist is a physician who specializes in cancer. If cancers had a cure, both the specialists are primarily physicians so they would just not be doing as much in that field as they did previously. I don't forsee all cancers being curable in the near future, although progress continues. So you would be encouraged to complete your qualifications and assist the others in the same field. You will find the work rewarding, and as you will be trained as a physician before you become a radiation therapist or oncologist, you will never be without employment.
Hope this helps
Matador 89

Well, for personal reasons I hope it is found soon . . but the reality is that cancer is over 200 different types of disease with many different treatments. I would say pursue your interest and not worry about it.

Good for you! Go for it! Who knows how soon there will be a cure? In the mean time, we need all the help we can get in fighting this nasty disease. I'm 35 years old and was just diagnosed at the end of January with stage III Melanoma. The only symptom I had was a strange looking mole on the back of my upper right thigh. It's now been three months and three surgeries later and now I await my body to heal enough from the surgeries to start chemotherapy.

Whether or not a cure is found, Oncologists and Radiation Therapists will be needed for a LONG time. Consider this: How long would it take the FDA to actually APPROVE a viable cure for any kind of Cancer and what would be the window of time for it to go to market? Based on the statistics for other drugs going through the approval process, I would say you'd have a long career in your chosen future profession. Like I said, go for it! We need every bit of help we can get.

I am a Radiation Therapist and have been for 20 yrs. When I started,you always heard a cure was around the corner.Granted,many advances have been made and some cancers we used to treat,are now cured with chemo or surgury.In my honest opinion,as long as there are people smoking,drinking and eating crap,there will be cancer. Feel free to email me about the profession

the goverment would lose millions the pharmasudical would lose millions the hospitals and doctors would lose millions. wake up cancer is a multimillion dollar industry. why dosent the goverment outlaw cigarrets it would cut cancer deaths in half bad for business............................if us can spend billions to put a man on the moon dont you thnk it CAN find a cure for cancer and aids they have the tecnology. its about making money honey.

NO they are not dealing with the only cancer ! There are many other disease and disorders where we need them !As you said if the cancer is curable than ...but do you know how many type of cancers are occurring in humans ?Some of them may get curable treatment but very few !As the causative factor and sites and the gradation of the cancer is different we can not totally remove it as like what we have done in eradicating small pox or polio ! They were cause by single causative organism ! Of course now a day different type of polio viruses have attacked humans in some part of the globe and again it is coming up ! similarly this cancer will of course will reach at a stage of cure but NOT total !SO TO MAKE LIFE OF THE CANCER PATIENT MORE COMFORTABLE AND EASY THIS PEOPLE WILL BE IN NEED !May BE MORE WE WILL NEED AS INFECTIVE DISEASE ARE LESS AND GETTING ERADICATED !God BLESS THERE ~!ALWAYS YouRsmE

The demand for Radiation Therapists is high. You will have no problem finding a job. Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!! Cancer is a broad term covering hundreds of types of cancer. IF they find a cure for one type of cancer there are still many other types that need the skills of a Radiation Therapist. One post refers to a Therapist as a Doctor...this is not true. Years ago when Radiation Oncology first started many Radiologists went onto the field and were called Radiation therapists. Now the Doctor is the Radiation Oncologist and the Radiation Therapist is the one who positions the patient and delivers the dose to the patient. (at least in the US)
The demand for Radiation Therapist is growing...you will not be disappointed by enter the field. Good Luck!