Explore this JAMA Oncology series devoted to telling stories about having cancer, the joys and challenges of caring for cancer patients, and truths discovered along the way.
This essay describes the reflections of an oncology ward attending physician and patients with cancer who are blindsided by cancer recurrence or progression.
In this essay, the author shares a story about the memories and importance that a gift from her mother has held throughout her life.
This essay describes the author’s experience with childhood trauma through the lens of a cancer diagnosis.
This essay describes the physician-turned-patient experience of standing up to cancer by lying down.
The author of this essay uses his experience learning the complex planning and strategies of chess in childhood to illustrate the importance of informed strategy in the treatment of patients with cancer.
In this essay, the author describes how trauma has led not only to physical ailments, including cancer, but also greater appreciation of her body and life.
This essay discusses how a diagnosis of breast cancer changed the author’s perspective on intersectionality, the interpersonal, disciplinary, structural, and especially cultural expectations of persons in marginalized social groups.
This essay explores the author’s experience with music and medicine.
This essay describes the difficulty of shared decision-making about treatment placed on physicians, patients, and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This essay discusses medical aid in dying (MAID) and encourages physicians to inquire about medical societies’ stances on MAID and to consider a position of engaged neutrality.
This essay describes examples of harassment and bias experienced by medical trainees from their patients.
This essay describes the author’s experiences facing racism from patients and recommendations for ways to create more inclusive environments for physicians who experience racism.
This essay describes the author’s experience treating a patient with cancer and a tracheostomy who used fingerpainting to tell her story of hope and resilience.
In this essay, a physician describes her experience learning and accepting that she is BRCA2 positive.
This Piece of My Mind recounts how a patient with terminal cancer used poetry to explain his cancer plan to his oncologist.
This essay describes an author’s past experiences with her husband’s cancer and how it shaped her ability to cope in highly stressful situations.
In this piece, a physician shares how he and a patient with terminal cancer established a genuine rapport during the COVID-19 pandemic and how fundamental yet easily overlooked being truly present can be to patient care.
In this essay, an oncology fellow describes how his conversations with patients with terminal cancer and their families have changed regarding travel and gathering restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic
This essay describes how an act of kindness can restore one’s hope.
This essay details the the emotional toll of pediatric cancer from the author’s peronal experiences and uses these details to correct misconceptions many have about patients who die from or survive the disease.
Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.