Photo by Jeff Newton

SPECIALTY:
RADIATION ONCOLOGY


Why did you pursue oncology?
Someone very close to me had cancer, and I wanted to do something to help people with cancer. Additionally, radiation oncology, even though it is an exact science, gives me the freedom to express a certain creative side to my personality. Radiation oncology is not a cookbook. It’s not as if someone has an infection and you deliver an antibiotic to them. There’s a lot more art involved in planning and delivering radiation treatments, which complements my artistic side.

What is your favorite part about your profession?
I interact with the most incredible and wonderful people in the world – people with cancer. And I get to help them and cure them. There’s nothing better in the world.

What would you do if you weren’t a doctor?
I’d probably be a writer. That’s probably as much as I need to say.

How has technology helped your field in recent years?
There’s no field that’s been quite as affected as oncology. By using the technology to make the radiation more precise, not only are you able to ameliorate side effects, but it also allows us to deliver a higher dose of radiation to kill the cancer. It’s about maximizing your cure rate and delivering enough radiation to the tumor to kill it completely.

What is it like working with patients who are facing a real possibility of death?
I always get that question in social situations, and my response is always the same. I don’t focus on the negative. Some of my favorite relationships with people have been with my patients that have died. It’s certainly not easy, but I focus on their strengths and their courage and it helps me realize how precious life really is.

What kind of relationships do you form with patients?
We’re still seeing our patients 11 years after their therapy, even more as a social visit because they’re already cured. They just want to catch up. Because, initially, their treatments are delivered every day, five days a week, anywhere from three weeks to nine weeks – it’s a very intense and close relationship. That’s why I like keeping that relationship long-term, as opposed to sending those patients back to their referring doctors. Seeing my patients over the course of 10-plus years has really helped me see the value of what I do day to day.



To learn more about our Top Doctors, visit azmd.gov for M.D.s, azdo.gov for D.O.s., or podiatry.state.az.us for podiatrists.