For Dr. David B. Zhen, advocating on behalf of patients is a driving force behind his work as a medical oncologist. Zhen specializes in treating patients with gastrointestinal cancers at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Here is his physician's story, as told to SCCA.
I strive to serve as an advocate for my patients, ensuring that they understand their diagnosis and all available treatment options, incorporating and respecting their own values with the goal of developing a personalized treatment plan. To achieve these goals, I strongly believe in a multidisciplinary approach to the care of cancer patients.
I always have had a strong interest in biology and helping others in need. The field of medicine afforded me the opportunity to be able to combine these passions.
When I was a child, my grandfather was diagnosed and eventually passed away from advanced pancreatic cancer. Even at a young age, that experience left lasting memories and ultimately influenced my interest in cancer. In college, I had my initial experiences in conducting cancer research which I found intellectually stimulating as it provided me the ability to advance scientific knowledge that could ultimately lead to important discoveries for the management and treatment of cancer patients.
However, what finally solidified my passion for pursuing a career in oncology was the long-term and deep personal relationships that I could develop with each cancer patient. I felt that this was quite unique and rewarding about the field of oncology compared to other fields of medicine. It is the intricate relationship of being on the leading edge of scientific discovery and caring for extraordinary individuals that drives me as an oncologist.
However, what finally solidified my passion for pursuing a career in oncology was the long-term and deep personal relationships that I could develop with each cancer patient. I felt that this was quite unique and rewarding about the field of oncology compared to other fields of medicine. It is the intricate relationship of being on the leading edge of scientific discovery and caring for extraordinary individuals that drives me as an oncologist.
In addition to caring for my patients, I am also involved in research. My research primarily focuses on investigating novel therapies for pancreatic cancer through clinical trials and as well as evaluating the clinical relevance of biomarkers that could aid in the earlier detection and better tailoring of therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer.
I hope that in the future we will be able to develop better methods for earlier detection of cancer. In addition, I hope that we not only create more effective therapies but also develop strategies in which we can better predict which treatments are more likely to work for an individual patient, thereby improving outcomes and also potentially avoiding side effects of those therapies that are not as likely to be as effective.
Outside of work, I enjoy running, hiking, being near water, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
