You Will Be Surprised: Unexpected Emotion from the West – America Mourns One of Its Oncologists!

Dr. Arti Hurria, one of the world's leading figures in geriatric (older-age) oncology, died in a traffic accident. We would like to share some of her contributions to oncology and some of the heartfelt, meaningful words spoken after her death.

What Is Geriatric Oncology?

Geriatric oncology, usually concerning those aged 65 and older, is a branch of medicine addressing cancer diagnosis and treatment in older people. This relatively young but increasingly important subspecialty was established following recognition that older people have special needs in cancer treatment.

A renowned and beloved medical oncologist, Arti Hurria, was Chair of Geriatric Oncology at City of Hope's Cancer and Aging hospital in California. When taking this position, she expressed her vision for the future of geriatric oncology: "My mission is to fulfill a dream: that all older patients with cancer receive good cancer care through an individualized, evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach."

Hurria viewed oncology as an intimate field of medicine and said to younger colleagues: "The process beginning with holding a patient's hand at cancer diagnosis involves emotions almost unique to this field of medicine. I welcome young doctors entering the field by saying: caring for such an incredible group of patients is one of the most beautiful ways to live."

As a physician actively treating cancer patients, Hurria believed in longstanding medical principles: "Even as we embrace exciting new medicines and technologies, our tradition of compassion and active listening is at the heart of what we do." she said.

"If You Want to Go Fast, Go Alone, but If You Want to Go Far, Go Together"

Some social media tributes from Hurria's friends, colleagues and patients were as follows:

Many admirers shared an African proverb that had become Hurria's life motto: "If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together."

Andrea Apolo, chief of the National Cancer Institute's Bladder Cancer Section, who trained with Hurria at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said, "The oncology community is mourning a loss in geriatric oncology."

Shane O'Hanlon of the University of Dublin in Ireland said, "It is hard to think of another specialty that has benefited so much from one person's work and achievements. Arti Hurria was a powerhouse."

"How will oncologists, geriatricians, palliative care specialists cope with the death of their mentor, friend and hero? .... When we stop crying, we must carry on her legacy" says St. Louis from Washington University.

In a 2017 interview with Hurria, she explained the foundations of geriatric oncology:

"The idea behind geriatrics is to truly understand the patient's functional rather than chronological age. Geriatricians, to understand other factors affecting health, perform something called geriatric assessment . They anticipate how a particular age affects morbidity (illness) or mortality (death) risk. What are geriatric patients' levels of functioning? What other medical problems do they have? What are their social supports, psychological and cognitive status? What is their nutritional status? They use a very comprehensive view, through questions like these, as part of decision-making."

In another interview, Hurria said there was much to learn from geriatric cancer patients. "Regarding receiving treatment and experiencing debilitating adverse effects, eighty percent of our older patients preferred preserving their memory to survival and did not want their children to know because they feared becoming a burden" she emphasized.

Hurria was born in New York to immigrant Indian parents, both physicians. When she was 8, her family moved to Southern California for its milder climate. At 18, Hurria left home to attend medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago.

She completed her internship at Beth Israel Medical Center, spent time at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and received fellowships in geriatrics and oncology at the Harvard Geriatrics Program and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, respectively.

Hurria received the Frederick Stenn Memorial Award for Humanism in Medicine, the J. Kennedy Award and the Award for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology.

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) board membership and presidency of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology were only a few of her important roles.

In an online interview in 2016, Hurria said, "Although the work in this field is incredibly difficult, both patient feedback and professional rewards far exceed the effort invested. " She advised her colleagues: "Love your patients as much as possible. Give them as much as you can with your whole heart. They are in a vulnerable place; kindness and compassion continue in this way."