exercise and cancer, and, again, why oncology?

There is an interesting article in the New York Times this morning about exercise and the cancer patient.  It basically talks about how exercise can be really beneficial for those undergoing treatment - like diminishing fatigue, which strikes an inordinate amount of cancer patients/survivors. We're not talking about running marathons or joining the Tour de France, even just walking around the block a bit can help. It was pretty interesting to read. 

I was asked the other day by one of the professors in the department, herself a physician, why I loved oncology so much - especially pediatric oncology, which has the potential to be so heartbreaking. And at first, I honestly couldn't speak. How do I explain the level of passion I have for this without sounding cheesy? How can I convey the need, the basic need, to be in this field, making a difference? I'm not sure. I started talking about how kids are so hopeful, and it's really inspiring, and we've come so far from where we were.....but there's so much more than that. Lance Armstrong's oncologist ( I met him in DC 2 years ago!) said something to Lance, in response to that very same question, and I think it encapsulates much of how I feel. 

"The burden of cancer is enormous, but what greater challenge can you ask? There's no question it's disheartening and sad, but even when you don't cure people, you're always helping them. If you're not able to treat them successfully, at least you can help them manage the illness. You connect with people. There are more human moments in oncology than any other field I could imagine. You never get used to it, but you come to appreciate how people deal with it - how strong they are."  - Dr. Craig Nichols