Our MBC Life

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Dr. Lidia Schapira: Hey Doc, What Are You Telling Me?

Our MBClife
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Episode Notes

Before our MBC diagnosis, many of us saw our doctors once or twice a year or even less often. And most visits were likely routine check-ups or focused on a particular issue with a relatively straightforward solution. But MBC changes all that. It throws each of us into an unfamiliar world--with its own language, new and complex information shared in high stakes appointments and a relationship with our oncologist that immediately becomes one of the most important relationships in our life. 

This episode of Our MBC Life, the first in our MBC 101 series, includes perspectives, insights and suggestions from both sides of the critical doctor-patient relationship.  We explore some key questions that arise in this intense and intimate partnership: How can we improve communication with our doctors and other members of our care team? What can we, as patients, do to strengthen our relationships with our oncologists and ensure we get the best care possible?  How can we get things back on track, if they go wrong? And what can we do when the relationship just cannot be saved?

Our panel of patients share their own experiences—good and bad—and what they’ve learned about navigating the unique communication challenges of this intense and intimate partnership. Dr. Lidia Schapira, medical oncologist and professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director of Cancer Survivorship at the Stanford Cancer Institute talks with Victoria Goldberg, Martha Carlson, and Kate Pfitzer  about what makes a good doctor-patient relationship. The topic is a priority for Dr. Schapira, whose clinical focus is the treatment of breast cancer and cancer survivors and whose research explores psychosocial impacts of cancer and interventions to improve quality of life and health outcomes of people living with the disease.

The Our MBC Life team is grateful to Dr. Lidia Schapira and to our fellow MBC patients for generously sharing their time, their experience and their wisdom in this episode.

Dr. Schapira’s Video Appearances and Interviews

Scholarly Articles by Dr. Schapira

Scholarly Articles on Doctor-Patient Communications

Books on Doctor-Patient Communications

  • Ofri, Danielle. What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear Beacon Press.

  • Leal III, Bento C.. 4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication in Love, Life, Work--Anywhere!: A How-To Guide for Practicing the Empathic Listening, Speaking, and Dialogue Skills to Achieve Relationship Success .

Meet the Guests of this Episode

Dr. Lidia Schapira is Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director of Cancer Survivorship at the Stanford Cancer Institute. She graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and trained at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston in internal medicine and completed a hematology and oncology fellowship at the Brigham and Women's Hospital followed by a research fellowship in Aging at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Schapira’s clinical focus is in the treatment of breast cancer and cancer survivors. Her research addresses cancer outcomes and experiences of young breast cancer survivors, the psychosocial impact of cancer, and interventions to improve quality of life and health outcomes for people living with and beyond cancer. She holds leadership roles in national and international societies (American Society of Clinical Oncology and Association of Supportive Care in Cancer) and serves as Editor-in-Chief of ASCO’s website for the public, Cancer.Net and Consultant Editor for Art of Oncology for the Journal of Clinical Oncology. 

Throughout multiple clinical, research, editorial and educational activities, Dr. Schapira has devoted her career to improving the experience and outcomes of patients and families with cancer and the education of cancer clinicians.