Thriving After Cancer | Tara Sanft, MD

May 2, 2023

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When we hear about people with cancer, the stories often end when the treatments end—either the battle has been won and the cancer cured, or in more tragic circumstances, the cancer takes the patient's life. But for patients who survive, that's not where the story ends. Cancer has fundamentally transformed their lives. How are they to make sense of the existentially threatening experience they have gone through? That's where cancer survivorship comes in. Joining us in this episode is Tara Sanft, MD, director of the survivorship clinic at Yale Cancer Center, where she helps patients thrive after cancer. Dr. Sanft is also a breast oncologist and the Chief Patient Experience Officer at Smilow Cancer Hospital. In this episode, we discuss the importance of cancer survivorship, how Dr. Sanft navigates the emotional challenges of her work, and what all clinicians can do to better support patients through difficult times.

In this episode, you will hear about:

How the death of a family member influenced Dr. Sanft’s decision to go into medicine - 2:04
Why Dr. Sanft’s decided to focus on palliative care - 6:02
Reflections on how communication and building relationships are key to palliative care - 14:20
A discussion of cultivating sacred moments in medicine - 19:53
The purpose of a cancer survivorship clinic - 26:02
A discussion of the most challenging aspects of Dr. Sanft’s practice - 33:35
How Dr. Sanft shoulders the emotional toll of her work - 36:30
Dr. Sanft’s duties as the Chief Patient Experience Officer at her hospital - 40:25
How to create culture change in medicine - 43:17
Dr. Sanft’s advice to clinicians on how to better foster self-compassion and create effective healthcare teams - 48:18

You can follow Tara Sanft on Twitter @TaraSanftMD.

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