Interview preparation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
What exactly does a radiation oncologist do? And how is radiotherapy used in breast cancer?
As a radiation oncologist, I treat people with breast cancer with radiation, often alongside surgery or other treatments, to prevent the disease from returning. Expectations are becoming increasingly favorable: more cures, more precise radiation so that healthy tissue is spared better with less burden, and treatment plans increasingly tailored to the whole person and their context.
How do you make a difference for patients? When are you satisfied?
I am satisfied when I have the connection—that is a condition for a good view of the total health situation. My drive is to deploy rapid technological developments in such a way that we deliver top care together: me with the knowledge and expertise of my team, while the patient is facilitated in a patient-focused way to take control of their own health.
What are you proud of?
My team—that we keep each other sharp on the basis of the Hippocratic Oath, our professional value that we stand for as doctors.
We do that very concretely: for example, we use the 1-on-1 doctor-patient relationship so that as a patient you know who oversees your whole picture throughout the trajectory. We keep it fresh by addressing each other on things we see can still be improved—through personal contact doing our best for people who entrust themselves to us.
The most beautiful thing about your profession?
Top performance—delivering a top performance each time for every new patient with the team. As a technical specialty, we have always considered contact with the patient and team as the starting point. The most beautiful thing is that through AI and new technology we can actually create even more space for that human contact.
