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

Doctor turned patient with cancer, Dr. Dan Tran, discusses how research and new medicine can help your hang onto hope during the cancer journey.

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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