Gynecologic oncologist: How I combine art and science
January 29, 2025
Medically Reviewed | Last reviewed by Aaron Shafer, M.D., on January 29, 2025
My career path has been full of surprises. Growing up in a small town in northern Pennsylvania, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. It wasn’t until college that I found a passion for science courses and considered a career in medicine. Eventually, I found a passion for gynecologic oncology.
Another surprise? Experiencing just how hot Houston gets in the summer on my first visit to MD Anderson. But while the heat may have made the first impression, the people and community here were what made a lasting impression.
I’ve always known about MD Anderson. It's the No. 1 cancer center in the nation and its Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine department is the oldest and first department of gynecologic oncology in the country. But what I was struck by were the people. The department was full of luminaries in the field who were amazing, normal, nice people, colleagues and friends. I was hooked.
Today, I work alongside those same people treating women with gynecologic cancers and training the next generation of gynecologic oncologists.
Art and science combine in my clinical practice
In my clinical practice, I treat women with all types of gynecologic cancers.
When I meet a patient for the first time, it's important for me to get to know them as a person. We discuss how treatment might impact them and their lives, and decide the best option based on their health history, goals and values. That's where the art of medicine comes in with the science. The real beauty of medicine is figuring out the right treatment for that person.
People are not computers or machines; each of us is a little bit different. Oftentimes, treatments affect how a person lives their life. Not everybody wants to live the same way or has the same goals. Our job is not only to help cure cancer but to treat individual people and make their lives better. That might look different for each patient, and that's where getting to know someone helps us develop a treatment plan for that woman.
A particularly special distinction about being here is that MD Anderson has a unique ability to take care of women with rare gynecologic cancers. Some hospitals may see these rare gynecologic cancers every few years; my team sees them all the time. That allows us to give excellent care for women with rare tumors.
Each of our physicians specializes in our own niche of rare tumors. My area of expertise is in two rare cancers: gestational trophoblastic disease, which can arise from abnormal pregnancies, and ovarian germ cell tumors, a rare type of ovarian cancer that normally occurs in younger women.
Another thing that makes gynecologic oncology unique is that doctors perform surgery and administer chemotherapy and systemic therapies. For other cancers, patients may need to see multiple doctors to receive their treatments. But here, the same doctor can administer medical and surgical aspects of gynecologic cancer care, and relationships with patients deepen as a result.
Educating the next generation of cancer specialists
Since finishing my training, I've always been involved in the education of medical students and residents. But it wasn’t until I came to MD Anderson that I was able to be part of a fellowship program and help OB-GYN fellows take the next step to become gyn-oncologists. I was previously the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship director and recently recognized nationally by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology as a surgical mentor.
Mentoring these excited, motivated fellows and hearing their fresh ideas and perspectives motivates me. Showing trainees how to do what I do gives me a real sense of accomplishment and pride. I also get to identify their strengths and learn what they're really good at and help promote that.
You see people grow over the course of our four-year fellowship. Fellows come here to train, and it's like a booster rocket taking them to that next stage. The fellows that graduate from the program know how to take care of women with gynecologic cancers and conduct great research. They hit the ground running to be leaders both in their institutions and in our society. When I see them go forward and do wonderful things clinically, in research, and in education, it's a real source of pride.
Clinical trials and collaboration set MD Anderson apart
While we do a great job of taking care of many cancers, there's still a lot to be learned. The only way we're going to advance the field and figure out how to truly cure every woman with gynecologic cancer is by doing clinical trials. Treating patients at MD Anderson allows for access to trials found nowhere else. Here, we're on the forefront of trials from very early drug development to Phase III trials.
There are many reasons I feel it's important for patients to have access to clinical trials. There have been studies in gynecologic cancers showing that women who enroll in clinical trials do better than those that don't. Clinical trials allow patients access to possibly lifesaving and life-extending care and drugs that might not yet be available. Often, these are targeted therapies designed to target specific mutations their cancers may have.
MD Anderson is set up in a way that allows us to do really amazing cutting-edge research. Within our department alone, we have nurses, research data coordinators, physician-scientists and basic scientists who work together to identify areas of research and ways that we can help cure cancer. The physicians who are designing and running these trials are right down the hall from me. We also have research nurses that are embedded in our clinic, and all of our staff have experience enrolling patients in clinical trials.
Because MD Anderson only focuses on cancer care, everyone here has the same mission and is pulling in the same direction. Today, I collaborate with world-renowned experts in gynecologic pathology and gynecologic imaging, as well as surgical oncologists, medical oncologists and doctors who specialize in early drug or Phase I studies.
All of the best in the world are here at MD Anderson. If I have a question or need help for a patient, I know that I can reach out to someone who is top in their field, and – like I experienced years ago – they're also the nicest people.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
The real beauty of medicine is figuring out the right treatment for that person.
Aaron Shafer, M.D.
Physician & Researcher