L. Christine Fang, MD
Dr. Fang is a radiation oncologist who specializes in treating breast and gynecologic cancers.
"Cancer is almost always an unexpected, unwelcome and scary event when it arrives in one’s life," she says. "My goal is to take part in treating, guiding, and supporting my patients through this unwelcome event so that they can go back to their lives free of cancer and with as few lingering side effects as possible."
Dr. Fang decided to care for cancer patients because, "I can think of few greater privileges than serving my patients and their loved ones during this time."
Research
One of Dr. Fang's current research interests is aspects of the treatment process that affect the patient’s experience and quality of life. The predominant focus in cancer research has been advancements that lead to improving treatment efficacy.
"Great strides have been made and there are continued efforts to push cure rates even higher," she says. "As cancer survivors are winning the fight against cancer, they are often left with lasting side effects from treatments as a badge of their survivorship. In addition to improving cure rates, I believe that understanding the factors that affect patients’ quality of life is equally important as we should not only strive to cure cancer, but to also minimize side effects and maintain the highest possible quality of life.
In her lifetime, Dr. Fang hopes to see a better understanding of short-term patient-related modifiers that can accentuate the treatments doctors deliver. "There is a lot of amazing work being done to elucidate the biologic characterstics of cancer."
L. Christine Fang, MD
Dr. Fang is a radiation oncologist who specializes in treating breast and gynecologic cancers at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.Patient Care Philosophy:
The most important aspect to my work is delivering the best care possible to my patients. This includes evidence-based, personalized medical management, compassion, empathy, patience, and delivery of hope. I believe in treating the person, not the disease. I place a strong emphasis on clear communication with my patients so that there is a clear understanding of the disease process, prognosis, treatment options, and what is to be expected during treatment.
Title
- Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine
Clinical Expertise
Solid tumors with an emphasis on breast cancer and gynecologic malignancies
Education And Training
- MD: University of Utah School of Medicine
- Residency: University of Washington Medical Center
- Fellowship: MD Anderson Cancer Center; MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center