Radiation Oncology: Day 7-12

The past few days in the Radiation Oncology clinic have been a lot of fun. I have had the pleasure of meeting several survivors who were 5+, 8, 12 years out of treatment, some long term cures. "This man here" - points to the attending - "saved my life. I wouldn't be here today if not for him!" Seeing those patients inspires me in so many ways; to see what current patients are going through (physically as well as emotionally), it is absolutely humbling to see that some can make it out alive and well, with an admirable outlook on life and a satisfaction with living each day to its fullest. I love meeting these patients. They are amazing.

That being said, I have met many patients who are on our service for palliation. These patients are much more difficult to spend time with, for purely selfish reasons; it is incredibly difficult to attempt a trusting, understanding, and compassionate relationship with someone who may not be around next week/month. It can be emotionally draining. But these patients need a kind, compassionate, and dedicated physician at this time more than ever in their life. Roughly half of the patients on the service receive palliative radiation to attempt to alleviate pain or bothersome symptoms (such as confusion and personality changes due to brain mets). And radiation almost certainly provides good relief for these patients, which makes it very rewarding as a physician. 

I recently sat down and chatted with a very lovely young lady. She has these gorgeous, big brown eyes and a smile that lights up a room. She was wearing a cute outfit, complete with cute little flats and a color-coordinated hat to cover her hairless head. She had come up with an idea to cure cancer - to use what we have in nature to our advantage, exploit its natural ability to suppress cellular growth (she spoke about a specific plant). This theory certainly has some scientific backing, and could be a good avenue to pursue. After all, some of our oldest chemotherapeutic agents are derived directly from nature, such as the nitrogen mustard and vinca alkaloids. "Maybe this is why I got cancer," she said, "so that I could meet you and pass my idea on to you and your expertise." What a phenomenal attitude to have. Although I am sure that she has her difficult moments, when she can't seem to make the tears stop and searches for some reason why such bad things happen to good people, she does her best to remain optimistic, to keep hope alive. 

Last week, I went to a Cancer Fundraising Event with a bunch of girls from the clinic. It was so much fun, with such a good turnout. It raised around $30,000 for cancer patients from our area to use. The spotlight speaker was a young lady with Stage IV Lung Cancer with an amazing personality. She spoke of her struggles, her current battle, and about enjoying the little things in life, to cherish each moment. She talked about her Bucket List, and how each of us need to make one because, "after all, we're all terminal, really." I don't think there was a dry eye in the house by the end of her talk. What an inspiration. How beautiful to see so many people gathered together, donating their time and money to help find a cure for cancer.