How An Oncologist Is Changing Sarcoma Care for Young Adults | EP 70

2025-07-14

What happens when cancer strikes in your 20s or 30s? How do you navigate life-changing diagnoses during the most formative years of your life? In this powerful episode of All Talk Oncology, Kenny Perkins speaks with Dr. Venkataraman, a young adult cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who is deeply committed to caring for patients with rare cancers like sarcoma. From the emotional trauma of delayed diagnoses to the complexities of survivorship, Dr. V shares how he supports patients not just through treatment—but through rediscovering their lives afterward. Key topics discussed: Why young adults are often diagnosed late—and what we can...

What happens when cancer strikes in your 20s or 30s? How do you navigate life-changing diagnoses during the most formative years of your life? In this powerful episode of All Talk Oncology, Kenny Perkins speaks with Dr. Venkataraman, a young adult cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who is deeply committed to caring for patients with rare cancers like sarcoma.

From the emotional trauma of delayed diagnoses to the complexities of survivorship, Dr. V shares how he supports patients not just through treatment—but through rediscovering their lives afterward.

Key topics discussed:

Why young adults are often diagnosed late—and what we can do about it
How sarcoma differs from other cancers and why it's so misunderstood
Treatment challenges: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and their impact
Why survivorship care is just as important as treatment
The mental health struggles cancer patients rarely talk about
The role of personalized care: meeting patients where they are
Advances in sarcoma research, clinical trials, and treatment protocols
Empowering patients to take charge of their own journey
Creative outlets for physicians: how Dr. V uses reflective writing to process the emotional weight of oncology