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Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO
Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO, is a professor of medicine and professor of surgery at Brown University, director of the Pelvic Malignancies Program and Hematology-Oncology Outpatient Clinics at Lifespan Cancer Institute, and director of Medical Oncology and the Sexual Health First Responders Clinic at Rhode Island Hospital. He also serves as the head of community outreach and engagement of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University. Dr. Dizon has served as past chair of ASCO's Social Media Working Group and the Cancer Communications Committee. In addition to his regular column on ASCOconnection.org, which has been honored with APEX awards in 2013 and 2014, he is a blogger for The Oncologist and a section editor of Gynecologic Oncology at UpToDate. Dr. Dizon is a member of the JCO Oncology Practice Editorial Board, and editor in chief of the ASCO Educational Book. Follow Dr. Dizon across social media channels @drdonsdizon.
Dec 18, 2012
On Friday morning I was seeing a patient, chatting about the holidays. She had given me a gingerbread house–making kit for my kids—which she had done annually since I had become her doctor. "You are doing so well," I declared, "Have a very Merry Christmas!" "You too!" she said as we hugged and...
Nov 18, 2012
I only met her once; she was young—in her mid-thirties—and she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer during her pregnancy. Following chemotherapy and the delivery of a healthy baby, she underwent a hysterectomy and staging. She was ultimately diagnosed with a rare ovarian cancer: small cell...
Nov 08, 2012
Scrolling through Twitter one day, a post caught my attention: “Early detection is not the answer. Finding and treating all stage 0 breast cancer will not prevent all breast cancer deaths.”
Oct 24, 2012
When I was 16 my dad had a heart attack. I still recall studying in my room when my mom came in to tell me he wasn’t feeling well. At the time, I was a volunteer in the Emergency Room at our local hospital, located in the tiny Pacific Island of Guam. I recall asking him what he was experiencing:...
Oct 11, 2012
It’s that time of year again, when ASCO solicits volunteers to serve on its committees. One of the more frequent questions that comes up among my colleagues and those I mentor, however, is how to effectively get involved? ASCO has more than 30,000 members, which can be daunting for individuals who...
Oct 04, 2012
“You look amazing!” It was the first thing out of my mouth upon seeing Sharon.* She is a woman in her mid-seventies, and she has recurrent ovarian cancer.
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