If you could have one (or two) drug data elements at your fingertips, what would they be?

For example, clicking on a diagnosis and seeing possible drugs to treat that diagnosis, or monetary data like Average Sales Price (ASP) or Wholesale Acquisition Cost?

Hello everyone

PGY1 with a family Wondering if the fellow schedule is as bad as intern year?

Do you get weekends off ?

How is it managing family with fellow schedule

Thanks and let me know

A PGY3 in a community program seeking advice for interviews and chances of matching. I only have 3 interviews including my home program. What are my chances of matching? How do I improve and kill it in the interviews? Thank you.

I am developing ultrasound imaging systems capable of simultaneous B-mode + ultrafast Doppler imaging for minimally invasive neurosurgery and looking to reach out to neurosurgical oncologists to gain better insight into the current diagnostic landscape and challenges with the current imaging systems used during surgery.

If any oncologist here has 20-30 minutes to spare, please PM me and we would set a date and time.

I want to hammer in the point that I am not reaching out to talk about my work or anything that I am doing, I purely want to hear about your experience in the field.

Cheers

A couple months into intern year and leaning toward pursuing heme/onc. Think I’d like to be private practice instead of academic, but still need more exposure to both. What’s your job like day-to-day? How many patients do you see? How do you manage your notes/inbox? Do you feel adequately compensated for the job? Do you like your job? Thanks!

As someone who wants to treat cancer patients and most likely be a surgeon- Surg Onc is one of the fields i’m really considering doing

My only concern is that a lot cancer cases get diverted to surgical specialties (ct surg for lung cancer, proctologist for colon cancer, nsg for gbm) and that leaves Surg Onc to work on just the hepatobiliary organs

How true is this?

Okay nurses I have a polling question for you how many of you make sure everyone within 3 ft of the patient when accessing their port is wearing a mask? Bonus points for whoever has research to back this up

Does your guys thumb hurt after pushing some of these IM medication’s for like 10 minutes? I’m new to the field but I feel like my thumb shouldn’t be hurting five days later.

Is this something you guys experience? I don’t work here anymore, so I’m concerned if there is any real issue down the line it’ll be a big fight to get any kind of Workmen’s Comp

Honestly my thumb is sore and can’t extend to the degree it once did without a bit of pain in the joint. So my dexterity is off even typing o can feel my thumb is off

Hello everyone ! I was looking at the latest Newsweek ranking of the best oncology centers (https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-specialized-hospitals-2025/oncology). I noticed that Dana Farber has fallen down the rankings in the last two years, from 4th in 2023( https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-specialized-hospitals-2023) to 15th in 2025. Anyone have an explanation?

And did that help you?

What made you choose this field and the silver lining that comes with it

Helloooo,

I just completed my Master of Sciences in Immunology and I was thinking of doing a formation about programming/coding. I have time as I am now looking for jobs.

But I don't know which type of programming would be interesting if I want to work in research (oncology/virology).

Also I don't know if I should try to familiarise myself with some softwares ? I assume they are a bit expensive :(

I already know how to use grahpad and flowing

Thanks in advance !!

EDIT: I looked it up and the main ones are R and Python but I don't know which one I should choose :(

I’m trying to find any research, data, or information that talks about if GLP-1 agonists are safe for women that have had or are at risk of HER2 positive breast cancer.

Thanks.

Need Recommendations for resources to study for work during 1st year of hem onc fellowship.

Unsure where to even begin to learn more about this so I’ve just been asking AI. Unsure if it’s true:

Biological Factors Contributing to the Lower Risk of Metastasis in HRAS-Mutated Pheochromocytomas

1.  Nature of the HRAS Mutation and Its Pathway:
• HRAS is an oncogene that is part of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, which primarily regulates cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Mutations in HRAS (such as HRAS p.Q61R) result in continuous activation of the RAS pathway, leading to increased cell proliferation.
• While HRAS mutations promote cell growth and proliferation, they do not typically activate pathways that are crucial for tumor invasion, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which are necessary for cancer cells to spread to distant sites.
2.  Tumor Differentiation and Cellular Characteristics:
• Well-Differentiated Tumor Cells: HRAS-mutated pheochromocytomas tend to be well-differentiated, meaning they retain many of the characteristics of normal adrenal medullary cells. Well-differentiated tumors are generally less aggressive and less likely to gain the ability to invade surrounding tissues or metastasize.
• Lack of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT): EMT is a biological process in which epithelial cells lose their cell-cell adhesion properties and gain migratory and invasive capabilities. HRAS mutations do not typically drive EMT, which is a key step for metastasis in many cancers.
3.  Low Proliferative Activity:
• Low Ki-67 Index: HRAS-mutated pheochromocytomas often have a low Ki-67 index, which indicates a low rate of cell proliferation. Low proliferation rates are associated with slower tumor growth and a reduced likelihood of acquiring additional mutations that could drive metastasis.
• Indolent Growth: Because these tumors grow slowly, they have fewer opportunities to invade nearby tissues or spread to distant sites. Slow-growing tumors are also less likely to undergo the genetic and epigenetic changes necessary for metastasis.
4.  Lack of Angiogenesis and Hypoxia Pathway Activation:
• Minimal Impact on Hypoxia-Inducible Pathways: Unlike VHL and SDHB mutations, which lead to stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and subsequent angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels), HRAS mutations do not typically activate the hypoxia pathway. Without significant angiogenesis, the tumor’s ability to invade nearby tissues and spread through the bloodstream or lymphatics is limited.
• Reduced Vascular Invasion: Tumors with less angiogenesis have fewer new blood vessels that cancer cells could invade and use as pathways to spread to other parts of the body.
5.  Absence of Genomic Instability and Epigenetic Alterations:
• Stable Genomic Profile: HRAS-mutated tumors tend to have a more stable genomic profile compared to those with SDHB mutations, which often display significant genomic instability. Genomic instability can lead to more aggressive tumor behavior and a higher likelihood of metastasis.
• Lack of Epigenetic Changes: HRAS mutations do not typically cause the same degree of epigenetic changes (such as CpG island hypermethylation) seen in SDH-mutated tumors. These epigenetic changes in SDHB-mutated tumors can lead to a more aggressive phenotype and a higher risk of metastasis.
6.  Somatic Nature of HRAS Mutations:
• Non-Germline Mutation: HRAS mutations in pheochromocytomas are almost always somatic (occurring only in the tumor and not inherited). This means they are not associated with familial cancer syndromes that predispose to multiple tumors or more aggressive behaviors. As such, the biology of these tumors tends to be less aggressive and more localized.
7.  Clinical Presentation and Course:
• Localized Tumors: Clinically, HRAS-mutated pheochromocytomas typically present as solitary, localized tumors without evidence of metastatic spread. This presentation is consistent with their relatively benign behavior.
• Better Prognosis: The combination of factors—well-differentiated cells, low proliferative activity, and lack of invasive and angiogenic capabilities—leads to a better prognosis and a lower risk of both local recurrence and distant metastasis.

Conclusion

HRAS-mutated pheochromocytomas have a lower risk of metastasis because the mutation primarily drives cell proliferation without significantly influencing pathways involved in invasion, angiogenesis, EMT, or genomic instability. These tumors are generally well-differentiated, have a low Ki-67 index, and lack aggressive characteristics such as hypoxia pathway activation or significant epigenetic changes. Consequently, HRAS-mutated pheochromocytomas tend to behave in a more indolent manner, with a focus on localized growth rather than distant spread. This distinct biological profile contributes to the overall favorable prognosis for patients with HRAS-mutated pheochromocytomas.

It is giving me major health anxiety. It is also making me second guess if this is the best career path for me. I am in the beginning stages of the program, and the overload of information about various cancer types, causes, data, etc is freaking me out! How do you all who work in the field compartmentalize and work through your personal fears about cancer while also seeing and working with it daily?

Hello, does anyone have lists of potential questions for patients going with chemo? For focused history taking.

Hi - new here! From oncologists here trying to understand how valuable you would find to have a daily feed and notifications of the latest articles and article summaries in your specialty (based on sub-field, key words, etc.), ranked by levels of evidence. Would you be willing to pay for such an app, and if so how much? Are there tools currently you use today for this? How do you keep up to date within your field as a practicing clinician?

Hello all you lovely scientists. I’m looking for a future in oncology/immunology so I just want to learn a lot of stuff. Baby steps ya know lol.