2018 Presidential Address—Society of Surgical Oncology: The Fundamental Difference Between Cancer Treatment and Patient Care

Excerpt

When I was first elected President of the Society of Surgical Oncology, my initial reaction was one of intense pride, which very quickly gave way to a profound sense of embarrassment and humility as I realized that I was being honored for the hard work and dedication of hundreds of others over the course of a couple of decades. While there is no way to appropriately thank everyone, I want to take a moment to mention a few people who have been especially helpful to me through the course of my career. At Colgate University, the late Dr. Roger Hoffman, and at Rutgers University, Dr. Gordon Macdonald and the late Dr. William Moyle, taught me to be a scientist. At the University of Louisville, Drs. Hiram Polk, Jr., J. David Richardson, Bill Cheadle, Michael Edwards, among many others, taught me to be an academic surgeon. At M.D. Anderson, Drs. Charles Balch and Raphael Pollock, along with Merrick Ross, Doug Evans, Jeff Lee, Fred Ames, Mark Roh, Steve Curley, Peter Pisters, and many others, taught me to be a Surgical Oncologist. Any measure of success that I have enjoyed is certainly due to the outstanding residents, fellows, faculty, and staff at the University of Louisville. The Division of Surgical Oncology: Drs. Rob Martin, Chuck Scoggins, Michael Flynn, Amy Quillo, Nicolas Ajkay, Prejesh Philips, and Michael Egger have been a tremendous team. Many more of you in the audience, too numerous to mention, have helped me in many ways, from the current officers and many past presidents of the SSO, to those of you who have been close colleagues, collaborators, mentors, and friends. I also want to thank Eileen Widmer and all of the SSO staff who continue to make this such a great organization. Finally, I thank my wife, Beth, our sons Austin and Steven, and the rest of my family for allowing me to be who I am and do what I do. They understand what I am about to tell you. …