Referral
The first doctor anyone should see if they suspect a problem or have a complaint about a symptom is his/her primary care physician. Ideally, this is someone with whom you have had a long standing relationship, who is thoroughly familiar with your specific medical issues and history and has earned your trust and confidence.
A primary care physician is usually a "General Practitioner" - one who is trained to diagnose and provide basic treatment for a wide range of minor, and often a few major illnesses and/or injuries.
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As knowledge and understanding of human biology has grown in breadth and depth, the medical community came to realize that the human body was far too complex for any one person to have a complete understanding of its workings and how these interact with each other. Thus specialist fields came into existence.
If your primary care physician detects symptoms indicative of a potentially serious problem, s/he will likely refer you to a specialist. In many situations, s/he may be ethically and professionally required to do so. The type of specialist you are referred to will depend on your particular symptoms and what your primary care physician suspects may be the problem. This will also depend on whether or not the private insurer is willing to cover any part of a specialist's fee.
If cancer is suspected, the specialist to whom you will most likely be referred is known as an oncologist. The oncologist is a physician who is specially trained in cancer issues, diagnosis and treatment. In confirming his/her diagnosis, the oncologist will enlist a specialist called a pathologist, whose training is in recognizing diseases; if treatment is necessary, you may also be working with a radiologist, who is trained in the field of nuclear medicine and the use of radiation in treating cancer.