EBOT study guide
EBOT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The EBOT (European Board of Oncology Training) examination is a European-level knowledge assessment in medical oncology, typically taken by trainees near the end of specialist training and by practising oncologists who want an external benchmark of their knowledge. It tests the breadth of oncology practice rather than a single school of thought: diagnostic work-up and staging, the choice and sequencing of systemic therapy including targeted agents and immunotherapy, radiation and surgical principles within multidisciplinary care, supportive and palliative care, oncologic emergencies, the interpretation of clinical evidence and statistics, and the professional, ethical and communication skills that shape daily decisions. The EBOT study guide has 8 sections and about 3,087 words.
01Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis in Oncology
This domain covers the front end of the patient pathway: focused history and examination, objective documentation of performance status, evidence-based selection of laboratory and imaging tests, and histological confirmation with staging. Questions test whether your diagnostic sequence would survive an MDT review - not whether you can list every tumour marker.
418 words, about 2 min02Systemic Therapy: Chemotherapy, Targeted Agents and Immunotherapy
This domain tests drug-class knowledge, dose calculation and modification, and the biomarker logic that selects targeted agents and checkpoint inhibitors. Expect questions that combine a creatinine value, a molecular result and a toxicity grade.
352 words, about 2 min03Radiation Oncology and Locoregional Treatment
This domain examines radiobiology, fractionation arithmetic, technique selection and the acute versus late toxicity profile of radiotherapy. You are expected to reason with the linear-quadratic model rather than memorise schedules.
375 words, about 2 min04Surgical Oncology and Multidisciplinary Management
This domain covers oncological resection principles, the sequence of surgery versus systemic therapy, and how an MDT reaches and documents a decision. Questions often ask what the correct next step is, not what the operation is called.
389 words, about 2 min05Supportive Care, Symptom Control and Palliative Care
This domain tests proactive management of treatment toxicity and cancer symptoms, with correct drug doses and conversions. It rewards practical prescribing detail: antiemetic combinations, opioid arithmetic, prophylaxis thresholds.
378 words, about 2 min06Emergencies, Complications and Oncologic Urgencies
This domain tests time-critical recognition and first-line management. Questions give a deteriorating patient and expect a specific action within a defined time window and a specific drug dose.
393 words, about 2 min07Clinical Research, Evidence-Based Practice and Statistics
This domain tests whether you can read a trial abstract critically: identify the design, the endpoint, the effect size and its precision, and decide whether the result applies to your patient. Calculations of absolute benefit and diagnostic test performance are common.
382 words, about 2 min08Professionalism, Ethics, Communication and Patient Safety
This domain tests consent, capacity, confidentiality, truth-telling and safer systems of care. Questions present a conflict - a relative demanding information, a colleague's error, a request for treatment with no evidence - and expect a defensible professional response.
400 words, about 2 min