Feb 19, 2019
Shikha Jain, MD
Rush University Medical Center
As part of ASCO’s “I Live to Conquer CancerTM” Campaign to raise awareness of the critical importance of federally funded cancer research, members of the oncology community are invited to answer the question “Why do you live to conquer cancer?” Written stories and videos may be shared on ASCO.org and ASCO Connection. Tell us your story today.
I have been very fortunate to take care of many patients over the years. I have one patient especially who sticks out in my mind. She was a woman with two daughters, who came to me saying that she was worried she only had 6 months to live and was looking for options. She was crying at the visit and she was scared. We had a very deep conversation. We talked for over an hour, and I was able to help her enroll in a clinical trial.
She is now 3 years out from that first visit with me and her cancer is under control. She dances on the beach and she had a prom that her husband planned for her. It’s an amazing thing, being able to provide that level of care to patients, and that is why I think that clinical trials are incredibly important.
We’ve had a lot of innovation in oncology care over the last decade. We have a lot of new things coming down the pipeline and it’s a very exciting time to be an oncologist because we’re able to provide things for our patients that weren’t an option 10, 15, 20 years ago.
I am very appreciative to have the opportunity to work with patients and help them find options when sometimes it seems there are none.
My name is Dr. Shikha Jain and I live to conquer cancer because I can’t imagine doing anything else. I feel very lucky to work with such amazing physicians, nurses, and health care workers, and to be an advocate for my patients.
Dr. Jain conquers cancer as a board-certified hematology and oncology physician on faculty at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. She is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Cell Therapy and the physician director of Media Relations for the Rush University Cancer Center.