In the heart of cancer

Abstract

Herein, a medical doctor describes what led him to choose oncology as a specialty. His narrative depicts his own evolution that was changed forever by a close friend being diagnosed and treated for a brain tumour. This unnerving circumstance transformed his life and clinical practice. Moreover, he describes how the grind of work eroded his heart and how he was able to heal himself. He learned from his friend's experiences and his own how to see disease from a patient's perspective. Finally, he describes how mindfulness fosters wholeness in a fast-paced health care system.