ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Physical oncology

Okay, so let's talk about something called "physical oncology." Oncology is the study of cancer, which is a really bad disease that can make people very sick. Physical oncology is a branch of oncology that uses ideas from things like physics and engineering to understand and treat cancer.

Think of it like building a castle out of blocks. You have to think about how the blocks fit together so that your castle stays strong and doesn't fall apart. That's what physical oncology does with cancer. Scientists use their knowledge of things like how cells in the body move and how cancer cells divide to figure out ways to stop cancer from spreading.

One way they do this is by using something called "nanotechnology." Nanotechnology is when really tiny particles are used to do things in the body. Scientists can make these particles do different things like finding cancer cells and attacking them or delivering medicine right to where it's needed.

Another way they do this is by using radiation. Radiation is like a special kind of light that can be used to kill cancer cells. Scientists use machines to aim the radiation just at the cancer cells so that the healthy cells don't get hurt.

Physical oncology is really important because it helps doctors and scientists understand cancer better so that they can find new ways to treat it and hopefully help people feel better.