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I¡¯ve always sought out opportunities to advocate for women and women¡¯s health. That¡¯s what drew me to the field of gynecologic oncology.

As a gynecologic oncologist at MD Anderson, I treat cancers of the female reproductive system, including endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, vulvar cancer and vaginal cancer. My passion aligns with MD Anderson¡¯s mission to end cancer. I¡¯m thankful I get to work with so many incredible people who share my passion and dedication to Making Cancer History? and improving the lives of our patients.

Connecting with patients is crucial to personalized care

As an oncologist, I¡¯ve learned that there¡¯s no one-size-fits-all approach to treating cancer.

Cancer treatment is a personal experience. As cancer care evolves, we often have multiple ways to approach a challenge. We need to understand how the cancer is affecting the person in front of us so we can make a treatment plan that will get them through treatment and beyond.

That¡¯s why I start by asking questions. I want to get to know my patients and their caregivers. I want to understand what their goals are. After that, I can determine what diagnostic tests we need to do. Then we can create a treatment plan that aligns with best practices and meets the needs of the patient and their support system.

MD Anderson¡¯s multidisciplinary care sets us apart from other institutions. We offer the best specialized care, whether it's medical oncology, surgical oncology or radiation oncology. Having multiple specialists review your care plan before we start treatment means that you're going to receive the right care at the right time and have the best chance for a positive outcome.

Why I value my team at MD Anderson

When you become a gynecologic oncology patient at MD Anderson, you have an entire team supporting you, including nurses, advanced practice providers, medical assistants or my colleagues in the operating room.

I'm always inspired when I come to work because I know that my team is incredible, they're energized and they care about our patients as much as I do.

I think the key to having an effective team is respecting and trusting one another. For example, I know that if I need to have a difficult conversation with one of my patients, I can rely on my team to handle everything outside of that room so that I¡¯m able focus on the patient and their loved ones.

I hear from my patients all the time about how much they love their care team and feel like they can always turn to them with questions or concerns.

My guiding principle when caring for each patient is, ¡®Would I be doing the same if this patient was my family member?¡¯ We get to know our patients so well ¨C through surgery, chemotherapy, surveillance and survivorship. We do consider them family. We¡¯re there through the highs and lows of treatment, and it¡¯s a privilege to be able to offer support and guidance to them during that time.

Clinical trials help us better treat patients

Clinical trials are a critical part of our work to end cancer. There¡¯s so much that we need to understand, learn and improve on to conquer a disease that is always changing. Clinical trials help us do that.

It's important for patients to have access to clinical trials, so we can offer them the very best cancer treatments. In addition, we may be able to extend their life and improve their quality of life.

MD Anderson is doing a lot of research in the field of gynecologic oncology. I encourage all patients to ask their doctors about clinical trials to see if they would be a good option for you.

Why you should come to MD Anderson for cancer treatment

MD Anderson only focuses on cancer, so we're able to provide the best comprehensive care to patients from the moment they're diagnosed through their treatment and onto survivorship. You won't be a number here or just another patient. We'll develop a multidisciplinary treatment plan that's right for you.

Because we focus only on cancer, we understand the highs and lows our patients go through better than anyone else. We focus on cancer care, we specialize in cancer care, and I believe we provide the very best cancer care there is.

, is a gynecologic oncologist at MD Anderson.

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