Today I got to work in the clinic alongside Dr. Hsu which meant that I went a couple buildings over to the medical center. I got to meet five cancer patients that day with ages ranging from 42 to 81 with cancers ranging from colorectal cancer to anal cancer to pancreatic cancer to even lung cancer. I couldn’t take many pictures because by law, you’re not allowed to take pictures within the clinical facility, but the picture below is of the office space that I sat in while Dr. Hsu showed me different CT scans and showed me how to identify cancer or abnormal spotting on a patient. The first patient that we saw had colorectal cancer and had already gotten most of his colon removed in surgery; however, what we saw on the CT scans was a little disheartening as we found an abnormal spot on his lungs not because the cancer had spread from his colon, but because he was a heavy smoker. So Dr. Hsu ordered more scans and tests to continue with treatment. Another patient that we saw that day was in the terminal stages of his cancer. Dr. Hsu explained to me that his cancer started out as colorectal cancer and then spread to his pancreas where the cancer cells multiplied so quickly that it completely compressed his stomach (you could see the dramatic decrease in the size of his stomach on the scan) so that he needed a feeding tube to consume food. His cancer, unfortunately, was completely untreatable, but Dr. Hsu saw that he was healthy enough and strong enough (despite losing more than twenty pounds) to undergo another round of chemotherapy just to contain the cancer enough to give him a few more good living months. Another patient we saw that previously had anal cancer came in because of an arterial clot. What Dr. Hsu explained to me is that venal clots are common, easier to detect and treat, and sometimes occur without another factor or cause influencing it. However, arterial clots are much rarer and can easily be fatal, and they are primarily caused by some other disease or outside influencer. What Dr. Hsu was worried about was that his cancer had returned and that was what was causing the clot, so he ordered more scans be completed to check for any signs of recurring cancer.
The experience in the clinic was totally different than all of my other days in the lab. And what struck me most about my experience in the clinic was the general disposition of all of the cancer patients. The relationship that the cancer patients have with their doctors is absolutely spectacular. Because the oncologist sees them regularly for long periods of time, they become extremely attached; I was really fascinated and comforted by the positive relationships that the oncologists formed with their patients and vice versa.
