Newly Diagnosed? Rely on ‘Research and Hope’, Says Doctor Turned Patient With Cancer

As a health care provider, oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Dan Tran thought receiving a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer at the age of 30 would make him a difficult patient. “As a doctor, you also end up being the worst patient,” he said in an interview with CURE®. “You hate treating other doctors, because they just think they know a lot more (and say) ‘Oh, I read that that, too.’”

But his background in the medical field ended up giving him hope about cancer treatment advances; hope that he wants to share with other patients who may have recently received a diagnosis of their own.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer, the chances of me surviving was six to nine months and now, here I still am,” Tran says.

Transcription:

CURE®: What advice would you offer someone who received a cancer diagnosis of their own?

Tran: I think the biggest message I have for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer would be to be hopeful. I mean, I think research and hope are pretty much the two things I think that gets me through it. Just knowing that there's going to be some new treatment out there.

Medicine is moving at such a fast pace right now. We have no idea where we're going to be in five years. When I was diagnosed with cancer, the chances of me surviving was six to nine months and now, here I still am. And so, anybody who's been newly diagnosed, just don't give up hope. Just hang in there. There's a chance that something may be coming out for you, and just don't give up.

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