Treating Cancer in the Era of the Opioid Epidemic with Dr. Helen Shih

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As the opioid epidemic has increased in severity, so has the number of patients diagnosed with cancer who are also facing substance use disorders. As a radiation oncologist specializing in brain tumors, Dr. Helen Shih is accustomed to treating patients with very serious prognoses. However, her experience treating two young patients with brain tumors who were also facing addictions tied to opioid use, shifted her perspective on this work and inspired her to learn more about the challenges for these patients. In this episode, Dr. Shih discusses how these patients motivated her to think more about specialized care for patients with this dual diagnosis.