March 2019

It is hard as a physician not to feel the sting of failure when you lose a patient. Yet, it serves as a reminder that at the end of the day, we uphold our oath by knowing when enough is enough, by ensuring that there is dignity, not only during life, but also in death.

Caring for patients with cancer requires a change in perspective. The reward is the fight itself, the daily work. It’s the lives we’re able to save and the dignity we’re able to preserve in death. But the grief is not limited to patients or their families. It is also an unaddressed part of the cancer continuum.

It is important for oncology surgeon trainees to learn to recognize when a palliative surgical procedure for an advanced malignancy might be appropriate, be familiar with the conduct of these operations, and understand the nuances of postoperative care and management of complications in this unique patient population.

Advancements in targeted therapy and immunotherapy have led to a rapidly increasing number of patients with metastatic cancer becoming patients with chronic cancer.