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ASCOconnection.org is a forum for the exchange of views on topical issues in the field of oncology. The views expressed in the blogs, comments, and forums belong to the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Please read the Commenting Guidelines.

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Everyone has a story about why they became a doctor. But I don’t know anyone who became a doctor because they love paperwork.
My father was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer on the night of my very first call as an intern. As his illness progressed, I learned that in the period of dying, between all we can do and nothing we can do, is a sacred space.
"It is not just for us, the health care providers, to set the vocabulary around cancer. We need to ask those whom the term affects," says Professor Bogda Koczwara. "People are not just the diseases that afflict them."
When a patient is prone to missing appointments, I try to remember that cancer is never easy, and it is especially difficult for those whose lives are chaotic.
Good communication isn’t learned overnight. It takes many years of watching and modeling mentors who are blessed with this subtle skill, as well as training and practice.
We do not have clear guidance on what sexual practices are safe during chemotherapy, and much of what we advise patients is based on our best guesses. How then do we counsel patients like mine, who are on continuous chemotherapy?
The phrase "the fight against cancer" assumes only two outcomes: remission or death, no middle ground. Today more than ever, nothing is further from reality.
Mr. Todd Pickard considers the effect of the team on professional burnout. Is your team a source of conflict and disappointment, or a source of confidence?
I take my responsibilities as a physician seriously. But when faced with my own sick child, everything on my to-do list—writing, research, even clinic—went out the window.
Every time I’ve received a gift from a patient, I feel humbled and slightly embarrassed, for, really, I’m just doing my job. But I treasure each one, tangible or intangible.
In oncology, we cannot define our victories by cure, but by the quality of life we are able to provide for our patients.
Dr. Sibel Blau's community practice implemented a new model of value-based care delivery to improve the patient experience. The transition was challenging but allows the practice to deliver higher quality care than ever before.
Mr. Harvey D. Bichkoff offers a firsthand perspective of MACRA implementation at Marin Cancer Care, the private practice for which he serves as CEO.
When you see enough remarkable recoveries, it becomes tempting to believe it is not only the drugs—that it is you. Where there is the Lazarus effect, perhaps there is the resurgence of the God complex as well.
I want to thank and pay tribute to the oncology nurses who are a true blessing and essential to providing exceptional care for my patients.
When faced with a suffering patient and family, it can be all too easy to blame yourself for their pain. Dr. Nasser Hanna encourages you to remember that the cancer is at fault, not you.
Every year, 400 physicians commit suicide. Nearly 10% of trainees have thought about it in the last two weeks. This is a serious problem that requires a fundamental culture change.
I think we would like to believe that all of our patients, and their family members, experience personal growth and end up as better human beings after cancer than they were before, but this is certainly not always the case.

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