In March, Sound Medicine and WFYI held a series of intimate conversations about cancer with leading clinicians, health care professionals, clergy and thought leaders in Indianapolis, including experts from University of Indianapolis, the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, and Indiana University School of Medicine among others. The conversations touched on psychological and emotional aspects of care, life-extending therapies, clinical trials and personalized therapies, and the integration of spirituality with illness and treatment. Explore a few of our favorite video clips from the events below, or find a full playlist of clips from our Cancer Conversation here.
Oncologist Larry Cripe, M.D., on facing uncertainty in cancer:
"To be alive is to be uncertain. One of the myths out there is that we become different people when we're critically ill, that we develop different coping mechanisms. And I don't think that's true. I find it useful to have people to reflect on how they've made decisions in the past."
Literature professor Jane Schultz, on the power of simple kindness in medical care:
"As I walked into the operating room, [my oncologist] just held my hand. That was really wonderful. It was just a very simple gesture of touch and it completely allayed my fear and anxiety."
Medical pioneer Larry Einhorn on finding the cure for testicular cancer:
"When platinum came out, we did what's called a Phase 2 study where 40 consecutive patients got a treatment where we expected to have 5-10 percent cure rate, and instead it escalated to an 80 percent cure rate."
