Cancer as a Family Affair | Mark Lewis, MD

The Doctor's Art

For Mark Lewis, MD, cancer has defined his entire life. Growing up, he witnessed his father's valiant struggle with cancer before it eventually ended his life. While still in medical training, he not only developed pancreatic cancer but also discovered the culprit. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, an inherited syndrome that drastically increases one's risk of cancers, runs in his family. So now, as a father, he guides his son in making sense of a life burdened with that risk. What’s more, as an oncologist, Dr. Lewis has also dedicated his professional life to understanding and treating cancers of the gastrointestinal system.

In this deeply personal conversation filled with pathos, wisdom, and hope, Dr. Lewis shares how he learned to cope with the rage he felt towards cancer in his early years, the solace he finds in religion and how he tactfully approaches matters of spirituality with his patients, how he was fundamentally transformed after undergoing the daunting Whipple surgical procedure, the wonder he feels when considering the remarkable progress science has made in cancer therapies, and how he channels his personal experiences to connect with patients.

This is an episode that paints a portrait of grace, resilience, and courage in the face of suffering and loss, and it reminds us to search for the dignity that is inherent in the act of caring for another person.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

2:43 - How watching his father deal with cancer led Dr. Lewis to a career in medicine.

7:04 - How Dr. Lewis managed the grief and rage that came with his father’s passing.

11:10 - How the speed of medical innovation drives Dr. Lewis’ optimism.

19:51 - The role that faith plays in Dr. Lewis’ work and in his relationships with patients.

29:07 - Dr. Lewis’ experience as a cancer patient and how it has informed his work as an oncologist.

39:21 - The ethical challenges involved in administering toxic treatments in oncology.

42:24 - The deeper meaning that Dr. Lewis has found through his experiences at the intersection of science and faith.

48:57 - Dr. Lewis’ advice for empathizing and connecting with patients.

Dr. Mark Lewis can be found on Twitter/X at @marklewismd.

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