Category: Oncology/Hematology

The unspoken weight of words: reflections on a Vietnamese patient’s final choices

When the patient arrived by ambulance, he was frail, elderly, and alone in a hospital that spoke a language he could not understand. He had been transferred from a neighboring hospital across state lines due to concerns of malnutrition and pain. The in…

Cancer treatment and sexual health: the conversation we need to have

When we think of cancer treatment, we often focus on the immediate goals: Shrinking tumors, stopping the spread of the disease, and ultimately aiming for a cure. What doesn’t get as much attention, but is just as important, is how cancer treatmen…

How embracing uncertainty changed my life

I have felt anxious for most of my life. Born into a poor family, my main goal has always been to become independent enough to support myself without needing to ask anyone for money to meet my basic necessities. I witnessed my father frequently asking …

Why cancer care remains inaccessible for India’s poor

Cancer is a disease that demands long-term, resource-intensive treatment, posing an especially heavy burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In nations like India, where a significant portion of the population comprises daily wage earners, …

When caring for pets becomes a life lesson

I had two bunnies over a year ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a proper environment for them, just a large cage in the courtyard. During the day, they would roam freely, and I would lock them in the cage at night for their safety. They were very…

The personalization of cancer care in 2025

In the past 50 years, cancer in many cases has morphed from a certain death sentence into a chronic illness. However, cancer is unlike other chronic conditions. There are hundreds of different cancers, classified by where they start in the body and how…

The inspiring journey of a medical physicist and her unbreakable friendship

M has always been very close to me. She joined our hospital’s oncology department over ten years ago as a radiation technologist. Currently, she works as a medical physicist in our department and is the only female physicist in our hospital. Her …

Do microplastics cause dementia?

Let’s begin by understanding the scope of the dementia problem: According to data from Alzheimer’s Disease International, before you finish reading this sentence, someone, somewhere in the world will have developed dementia. Here comes anot…

How doctors’ words can make or break patient care

Perhaps almost as important as our history-taking, our diagnosis, and our care of patients are the words we use to communicate that history-taking, that diagnosis, and that care. Scenario one: the not so good A while ago, I happened to witness a family…

How doctors’ words can make or break patient care

Perhaps almost as important as our history-taking, our diagnosis, and our care of patients are the words we use to communicate that history-taking, that diagnosis, and that care. Scenario one: the not so good A while ago, I happened to witness a family…