Karthik Giridhar, M.D., has helped hundreds of women with breast cancer keep living their lives through treatment. He has learned from patients some unique views on living and decision-making in the face of challenge.
Hear Dr. Giridhar share what happens when patients stay focused on their goals. Discover new ways to change your perspective when facing a cancer diagnosis.
A Mayo Clinic expert explains: How to keep living life during breast cancer treatment
Karthik Giridhar, M.D., Medical Oncology: One of the joys and privileges we get as oncologists talking with patients is that when patients get a cancer diagnosis, more often it's just life-disruptive, right? What we need to always do and to facilitate is make sure we keep that person's goals in mind.
For managing breast cancer, even those with advanced breast cancers, we've made tremendous strides in helping people live longer while offering less toxic treatments.
So we have the luxury and privilege to be able to say, "You know what, I actually want you to keep doing the things that you want to be doing." Whether that's going to school, whether that's working. Realizing that, hey, you're going to come back and see me, but we certainly want you to be prioritizing and doing the things you want to do.
You can change the way you look at cancer
The most amazing patient that I saw tried to reframe the concept of saying that it's a battle — that cancer is something that's battled and fought against. She wrote a love letter to cancer saying this is a partner that's there and is along for the ride, and she's got to figure out a way to make this work. And she's somebody that, whenever I see her, is just a joy to talk to, and it's clearly somebody that's living their life the way they want to — and not letting cancer define her or her life.
Sometimes what I tell a patient is, "Hey, you know, you're going be stuck seeing me," but I want to get in the mind frame of this being a chronic disease and the idea that we want you to live the life that you want to live and the treatments should come along for the ride.
Dr. Giridhar has helped hundreds of women with breast cancer keep living their lives.
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