When the cancer researcher becomes the patient

Cancer research is driven by the need for improving the lives of patients with cancer. A cancer scientist’s attention can be absorbed by the daily challenges of experimental research, running a lab and securing funding. Hearing about the patient’s experience can serve as a powerful reminder of the reason and urgency for doing this work — and the experience of being a patient can change a scientist’s approach to cancer research on a broader scale. In this Comment, the author, a cancer researcher and breast cancer survivor, discusses her experience as a patient with cancer and how it influenced her approach to research.