What inspires you to work as a cancer surgeon?
There are many “things” that inspire me to work as a cancer surgeon but it’s truly the patients that I meet and take care of each and everyday that make my job the best in the world. After only meeting for an hour, they put their trust in me to help save their life! I feel honored every day to take care of breast cancer patients.
What advances have made the biggest impact in the treatment of patients with breast cancer over the last five years?
There are have been incredible advancements in breast cancer care – understanding the critical role of endocrine therapy in hormone receptor positive breast cancers patients, CDK4/5 inhibitors, PARP inhibitors for genetic variant carriers, and understanding Her2 disease better.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in caring for patients with breast cancers?
Many challenges that are not unique to just breast cancer patients but across healthcare are ongoing struggles with access to care, psychosocial support during and after treatment for their breast cancer, and the mental and physical struggles of being a survivor of breast cancer.