Medical oncologist in Latviawhere to get treatment, how to verify certification, what this doctor does
- Certification check: State register of medical practitioners
- Certificates are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association
- Noticed outdated info? Report it
An oncologist-chemotherapist discusses the course of chemotherapy, side effects and how to ease them. The doctor explains what to expect from the next treatment cycle.
The consultation happens over video, so it works the same in Riga, Daugavpils, Liepaja, Jelgava, Jurmala, Ventspils and Rezekne.
No verified doctor in this area yet
We check every certificate by hand, so the list grows step by step. Choose another area or start with a family doctor.
Other Oncologist-chemotherapist doctors in Latvia
These doctors have not confirmed their profile yet, so they cannot be booked for now.
- Ilga Albina
- Mārīte Andersone
- Margarita Andrejeva
- Marina Babuškina
- Dace Baltiņa
- Ilva Banka-Okorie
Known medical oncologists in Latvia
No names are listed for this specialty yet
We are adding them gradually. Doctors you can book are shown at the top of this page.
When to call 113 instead of booking
- A temperature above 38 degrees in a patient on chemotherapy. This can mean life-threatening infection on a low white cell count.
- Chills, confusion or low blood pressure after a chemotherapy cycle.
- Inability to keep fluids down because of prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea.
- Heavy bleeding, or extensive bruising that has appeared over a few days.
- Breathlessness at rest, or chest pain.
- Sudden leg weakness, or inability to pass urine or control the bowels.
- Sudden unbearable pain that prescribed painkillers do not touch.
- Redness, swelling or pain around a central venous catheter or port together with fever.
What a medical oncologist treats
A medical oncologist prescribes and manages drug treatment for cancer. They assess the tumour type and stage, choose the treatment regimen, monitor how well it is tolerated, and adjust doses.
- Drug treatment of malignant tumours at any site
- Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy
- Managing tolerability and side effects
- Assessing treatment response through imaging and blood tests
- Agreeing the treatment plan at a multidisciplinary meeting
- Follow-up after treatment ends
Patients reach a medical oncologist once a diagnosis is confirmed or strongly suspected. The route usually starts with the family doctor, who issues the referral and books the patient under the green corridor rules.
How cancer treatment methods divide
- Drug therapyWhich doctor: Medical oncologistWhat they do: Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy
- RadiotherapyWhich doctor: Radiation oncologistWhat they do: Planning and delivering radiation treatment
- SurgeryWhich doctor: Surgeon in the relevant fieldWhat they do: Removing the tumour and related operations
- Blood cancersWhich doctor: HaematologistWhat they do: Leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma
The specialty has no separate sub-specialties in Latvia. In practice doctors often concentrate on particular tumour sites, and in complex cases the treatment plan is agreed by a multidisciplinary meeting.
Glossary
- Chemotherapy
- drug treatment acting on rapidly dividing cells.
- Targeted therapy
- treatment aimed at a specific molecular target in the tumour cell.
- Immunotherapy
- treatment that changes how the immune system recognises the tumour.
- Hormone therapy
- treatment for tumours whose growth is driven by hormones.
- Treatment cycle
- a phase of treatment followed by a recovery period before the next one.
- Port or central venous catheter
- long-term venous access through which drugs are given.
- Neutropenia
- a low white cell count after chemotherapy, raising infection risk.
- Reimbursed medicines
- drugs whose cost the state covers in part or full, prescribed by doctors under contract with the National Health Service.
How someone becomes a medical oncologist in Latvia
- Six years of medical study and a doctor's degree, at RSU or the University of Latvia.
- Residency in medical oncology. RSU states that over five years the resident acquires the knowledge and practical skills required under ASCO and ESMO recommendations and Cabinet Regulation No. 268. Programme page: RSU residency programme.
- The programme covers genetics, molecular biology, aetiology, immunology, prevention, clinical presentation and diagnosis of tumours at various sites, plus the principles of multidisciplinary therapy.
- At least 80 per cent attendance at theory sessions is required, with a knowledge test after each course.
- The programme ends with a research project that is written and defended.
- Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital is one of the residency bases, and its site names Gunta Purkalne as the specialty programme supervisor there.
- The certificate is valid for 5 years. Recertification requires 250 continuing education points, at least 60 per cent tied to the base specialty, plus a 48.38 EUR fee.
- Entry in the practitioners register must be renewed every 5 years.
How to verify this doctor's certificate
- 1Open registri.vi.gov.lv/rap.
- 2Enter the surname or practitioner identifier in the search box.
- 3Confirm the listed specialty reads "Onkologs ķīmijterapeits". There is no specialty called "oncologist", and the radiotherapy specialty is "Radiologs terapeits".
- 4Check the certificate validity date. A permit or an adaptation period is not a certificate.
- 5If anything is unclear, see the register explanation page.
Where treatment happens
Rīga
- Latvian Oncology Centre at Rīga East University Hospital
which includes the Chemotherapy and Haematology Clinic.
- Oncology Clinic at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital
seeing patients at inpatient, day hospital and outpatient stages.
Liepāja
- Liepāja Regional Hospital
which runs a chemotherapy, haematology and palliative care ward with inpatient and day hospital beds. Booking line 63403231, weekdays 08:00 to 16:00.
Chemotherapy is usually given in a day hospital or inpatient setting rather than at an ordinary outpatient appointment.
Choosing between doctors
- In practice the choice is narrow. Drug treatment for cancer is concentrated in a few large hospitals, and the route in is set by the green corridor rules.
- A state-funded visit for medicines. Prescriptions for reimbursed medicines may only be issued by doctors under contract with the National Health Service.
- Distance and treatment frequency. Cycles repeat on a weekly or three-weekly rhythm, so the provider's location shapes daily life.
- Multidisciplinary review. In complex cases the treatment plan is agreed by doctors from several specialties, which happens at the large hospitals.
- Second opinion. Patients may freely choose any provider delivering the relevant state-funded service.
What a visit looks like
- Bring all test results: imaging discs and reports, histology and molecular test results, hospital discharge summaries.
- Bring a full list of medicines, including over-the-counter products and supplements, since these can interact with treatment.
- The doctor reviews the diagnosis, stage and general condition, and on that basis selects the treatment regimen.
- Blood tests are usually taken before each cycle, and the results determine whether treatment can continue at the planned dose.
- It helps to write down what is said or bring a relative, since there is a lot of information about the regimen, side effects and what to do about them.
Cost and medicines
In the public system, with a referral, a specialist visit costs 4.00 EUR, day hospital treatment 7.00 EUR per day, and inpatient treatment 10.00 EUR per day from the second day. Inpatient co-payments are capped at 355.00 EUR per illness episode and 570.00 EUR per calendar year. Tests within the green corridor and after state cancer screening carry no patient co-payment.
- Patient co-payment for a specialist visitPrice EUR: 4.00Source: NVD
- Patient co-payment for day hospital treatmentPrice EUR: 7.00 per daySource: NVD
- Patient co-payment for inpatient care from day twoPrice EUR: 10.00 per daySource: NVD
- Inpatient co-payment cap per illness episodePrice EUR: 355.00Source: NVD
- Annual co-payment capPrice EUR: 570.00Source: NVD
- Tests within the green corridorPrice EUR: 0.00Source: NVD
Professional association and oversight
The specialty body is the association "Latvijas Onkologu asociācija" (Latvian Association of Oncologists), registration number 40008263627, registered address Strēlnieku iela 1-2, Rīga, LV-1010, email info@onkologi.lv.
Certificates are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association, founded in 1988. The sector regulator is the Health Inspectorate, while the National Health Service oversees the organisation of state-funded services.
Patient rights and complaints
If you have doubts about the quality of care, raise them first with the institution's management, which must operate a complaints and suggestions system. If that does not resolve it, a written submission goes to the Health Inspectorate no later than two years after the alleged infringement, and is reviewed within 30 days, extendable to four months in complex cases. The procedure is set out on the Health Inspectorate site. Where the problem is the availability or timing of a state-funded service, the National Health Service is the body to approach.
FAQ
Do I need a referral to see a medical oncologist?
Yes, for a state-funded consultation. Where cancer is suspected, the family doctor books the patient under the green corridor and the consultation must be provided within 10 working days.
What does treatment cost?
With a referral, a specialist visit costs 4.00 EUR and day hospital treatment 7.00 EUR per day. Green corridor tests carry no co-payment.
Why do reimbursed medicines require a state-funded appointment?
Prescriptions for reimbursed medicines may only be issued by doctors under contract with the National Health Service.
How does a medical oncologist differ from a radiation oncologist?
A medical oncologist manages drug treatment, while a radiation oncologist plans and delivers radiotherapy. Many patients receive both, either in sequence or at the same time.
How often is certification renewed?
Every 5 years, on 250 continuing education points.
This page was reviewed by Sergejs Ponomarjovs, from the E-Medicīna team. More about us.
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Last reviewed: 8 August 2026
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