MSK Head and Neck Cancer Doctors Care for the Whole Person During a Difficult Diagnosis

James Mangan is a world-class rowing coach who has led elite teams in his native Ireland and in the United States all the way to the Olympics. So when he learned he had a serious skin cancer, he was concerned not only for his health but for his ability to continue the work he loved.

“To me, it’s not just a job or a career,” he says. “It’s something I’ve spent my whole life doing and become quite successful at, because I love coaching.”

Dr. Lara Dunn examines James Mangan.

James says he found a kindred spirit in head and neck medical oncologist Lara Dunn, MD, as she laid out a treatment plan for the squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, which had spread to his parotid, a salivary gland. “As a coach, you have to be very honest with athletes but also empathize with them and kind of manage their emotions,” he says. “With her, it was like I was with a good coach. She’s one of the most amazing people you can meet.”

For Dr. Dunn, their rapport grew as they talked about their families. “I really want to know what’s important to my patients,” Dr. Dunn says. “Cancer may be very dominant at the time we meet, but it is only a small part of who they are as a person.” Read more https://www.mskcc.org/news/msk-head-and-neck-cancer-doctors-care-for-whole-person-during-difficult-diagnosis?fbclid=IwY2xjawNiPs1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHgfGowN_DwTnOQS-VVtAEkdXVNTbbYUO70RTwa8jMHeXH1jyeE6wM6Xda2a0_aem_ZHthBUZvfLO5_qwslTH3QA