Delivery of Care

Imagine an oncologist stepping out of tumor board and into clinic with a complex case at hand. The patient’s tumor has multiple high-risk features, genomic mutations, and borderline indications for therapy. In the past, the doctor might sift through guidelines,…

At a cancer forum not long ago, after I introduced myself as an orthopaedic surgery resident, someone asked — with genuine curiosity — “But why are you here?” The question stayed with me, because it revealed a paradox: musculoskeletal health…

Oncology is both one of the most inspiring and one of the most demanding fields in medicine. Unlike other specialties, the emotional and professional boundaries in oncology are often blurred. Many of us feel that our lives are devoted to…

For parents of children battling cancer, finding a place to stay that is both affordable and close to the hospital is not just a convenience; it can mean the difference between life and death. Without accommodation, families are often forced…

Nine years ago, one of the leading artificial intelligence scientists, Geoffrey Hinton, made a startling prediction: “We should stop training radiologists now.” He believed that within five years, machines would outperform humans at reading medical images. Nearly a decade later,…

Latvia consistently ranks among the European Union's most troubled countries when it comes to cancer. The country lags behind EU countries on many cancer risk factors and also has one of the biggest gender disparities on the continent, with men…

For decades, early cancer detection has predominantly relied on organ-specific screening programs—such as mammography, Pap test, or colonoscopy—to detect malignancies as early as possible. While these approaches have indisputably saved lives, they inherently capture only a limited range of cancers,…

“The anticipatory fear that I had became reality when the doctor said that my 6-year-old son must undergo chemotherapy…the rest of the explanation I didn’t hear due to the shock that I had, even though I am a radiology nurse…

I am alive. A stage four cancer survivor—alive, in part, because of you, dear oncologists. And in part, because of the divine. I begin this letter this way, as it is intertwined on a road that is part medicine and…

No conversation about palliative care in Africa is complete without mentioning Dr. Anne Merriman. Her life was a testament to deep compassion — dedicated to caring for others, championing dignity in death, and ensuring free access to pain relief for…