Did you always know the area of medicine you wanted to specialize in?
I always wanted to be an architect, but our life experiences shape our lives and our future goals. Unfortunately, my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and many other family members were diagnosed with the devastating disease. This diagnosis completely changed our lives. I come from a family of doctors and it was very interesting to witness that even doctors did not fully grasp the complexity of this diagnosis and struggled with mixed emotions of loss of a loved one. I quickly realized that despite our scientific advancements, only 3% of our aging population was represented in clinical trials. It was a natural progression for me to adopt a career in geriatric oncology.
Why are clinical trials important to the advancement of medicine?
In medicine, it’s the clinical trials that provide access to the latest cutting-edge technology to create novel opportunities to cure disease processes. We are committed to conduct studies for cancer prevention, symptom management and improve survivorship in all cancer patients, making sure that data is of highest quality and in compliance with the regulatory requirements.
How has your work changed the lives of Southern Nevadans?
My work has only begun. Unfortunately, health care in Las Vegas is very fragmented. Patients often find themselves running from clinic to clinic to gain access to their treatments. While this paradigm may work for other specialties, it is definitely not sustainable for weak, elderly and debilitated cancer patients who are often at the margin of financial bankruptcy. We have therefore created a 55,000 square-foot cancer center in the heart of Las Vegas where our patients have access to most of their treatments.
What excites you the most about the advancements in health care?
With current technology, we are able to target the mechanisms that drive malignancy and we are able to harness a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. What really excites me is that this is just the beginning; we have just scratched the surface of scientific exploration in myriad intricacies of tumor genesis.