Christine Elder trained at Waikato and Auckland Hospitals. Following her specialist qualification (FRANZCR), she undertook a fellowship at Princess Margaret Hospital, one of the largest Oncology hospitals in Canada. She currently practices at Auckland City Hospital and provides clinical services to patients living in the Counties Manukau area.
She has provided radiotherapy treatment for patients with tumours affecting most sites, but has special interest in breast, lung, and GI tract, along with the management of those requiring palliation for symptomatic sites.
She welcomes referrals for an opinion regarding treatment options, and is happy to be contacted by clinicians interested in referring patients.
What is Oncology?
Oncology is the area of medicine involving cancer. An oncologist is a doctor specialising in the treatment of cancer either with chemotherapy (medical oncologist) or radiation (radiation oncologist). Other doctors are involved in the treatment of cancer such as surgeons, palliative care specialists (doctors who specialise in the treatment of symptoms from cancer that cannot be cured) and general physicians (who often are involved in the diagnosis of cancer). If you have cancer you are likely to be referred to some of these doctors depending on the type of treatment that is advised. Oncology services often work alongside hospices and the Cancer Society www.cancernz.org.nz who provide support to people with the diagnosis of cancer.
What is Cancer?
Everyone’s body is made up of millions of cells, which normally grow, divide and are renewed in a balanced or programmed way. Sometimes this process is disrupted and the cells grow in an uncontrolled way – a solid group of these cells is called a tumour. Another word commonly used for tumour is growth and it can mean the same thing.
A tumour/growth can be benign (grows but will not spread into different parts of the body) or malignant (spreads into different parts of the body as well as grows locally). Tumours spread by cells travelling through the lymphatic system (the body’s cleaning system) to lymph nodes (often known as glands) or through blood to other organs in the body. These cells can then multiply. If this happens the cancer is called metastatic.
Cancer isn't contagious, so you can go on being close to family and friends.
Dr Elder performs radiotherapy at Auckland Radiation Oncology and also works in the Radiation Oncology Department at Auckland City Hospital.