Michael Postow, MD, chief of melanoma service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, picked oncology because it was a place where he could make the biggest impact.
He started as a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2010, and over the last 13 years made his way to leadership. Here, he talks about some of the successes of his center and what he's looking forward to in cancer care:
Question: What drew you to oncology?
Dr. Michael Postow: Taking care of patients with cancer, in my mind, is the greatest charge. I wanted to deal with something high stakes, if you will, and I think there's nothing more important than making sure all goes as well as possible when somebody gets a diagnosis of cancer. I like serious things and I like the relationships that you can make with people around this diagnosis. I wish no one had to deal with it, but because it's out there, I felt drawn to it in that respect.
Q: What cancer study, technology or innovation are you most excited about right now?
MP: I think the new ways that we're using the immune system to fight cancer with treatment like cellular therapies is the most exciting, but also what we and others are doing with certain types of vaccines. There is renewed enthusiasm after a long period where vaccines fell out of favor, and I think that resurgence of interest and progress is exciting.
Q: What aspect of your work or the field keeps you up at night?
MP: Knowing that not every patient is benefiting yet from our current treatments. What more can we do so that everyone benefits and everything we're doing is going to work? It's really disappointing when treatment doesn't work, and remembering stories of people that are not served by the current treatments is motivating for finding and doing new trials, new combinations and understanding better why people don't benefit.
Q: What's one thing your hospital or system is doing in cancer care that you're most proud of?
MP: I think right now at Sloan, and particularly within our melanoma group, I'm most proud that we can deliver cellular therapy for cancer patients because this is not an easy treatment modality to deliver. It really requires a great team of multidisciplinary physicians and researchers, and I think at Sloan, the fact that we can do this and offer this is something special. In fact, we're getting referrals from all over the country and even internationally. So I think we're a real pioneer in that area and that we're able to do this is a great source of pride: We can do something that very few other places around the world can do.
Q: What's the best leadership advice you've received?
MP: I think knowing that the leader is there for everyone else's success. You're really judged by the people around you that succeed, and trying to do everything you can for their success is, in my mind, the mark of the best leader.