Roupen Odabashian, Hematology/Oncology Fellow at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“This time of year, I hesitate to order tests.
The thought of delivering bad news right before Christmas weighs on me. I find myself trying to convince patients to wait until after the holidays.
When I open scans, the anxiety is real.
Did the cancer progress? Did treatment fail? It hurts to carry that news into someone’s Christmas.
Here’s what I’ve learned this year: delaying treatment by 10 days rarely makes a clinical difference. But one more happy Christmas with family? Those memories matter more than we admit.
Screw cancer.
Being an oncologist isn’t just about administering chemo. It’s knowing when to pause, when to protect what time remains, and when to let patients live before we treat.
That’s what I’m learning every day.”
More posts featuring Roupen Odabashian on OncoDaily.