Oct 25, 2017
Head of the Department of Medical Oncology at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital; professor of oncology at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie; adjunct professor of medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization; associate editor for the Journal of Clinical Oncology; Board of Directors Executive Committee member; Board liaison to the International Affairs Committee and Cancer Communications Committee
What led you to oncology?
DK: I was a medical student in the early 1970s and my best friend’s wife, aged 19 like me, was diagnosed with cancer. She had extensive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy and, after 2 years of treatment, she was unexpectedly cured. Things were changing in the field of cancer! I decided I wanted to be part of this revolution.
What’s the last book you read?
DK: The Odyssey by Homer. I read it every year. The philosophy behind Ulysses’ struggle to get back to his island and family illustrate perfectly the quest for a “good life.”
What hobbies do you enjoy?
DK: Cooking! I love to cook for my friends, and I have been taught by the best chefs of France.
Do you have a personal motto?
DK: Life is beautiful!
What career could you see yourself in if you weren’t an oncologist?
DK: A chef? I would have a small and friendly restaurant, featuring different dishes according to the season.
What changes do you envision for the field in the next 10 years?
DK: Because of the growth in number of approaches including targeted therapies and immunotherapy, I am optimistic that cancer will be cured and defeated!
What would you say to a young physician thinking about entering the field of oncology?
DK: What a marvelous idea! We need you.