Putting the Patient at the Center | Mariana Chavez Mac Gregor, MD Anderson Cancer Center

My conversation with Mariana Chavez Mac Gregor of MD Anderson Cancer Center is a special one. Mariana was Maureen's oncologist as my late wife's breast cancer metastasized from late 2013 into 2014. One of the things I always remember from our visits was Mariana's compassion and focus on Maureen. As Mariana put it so well, "When I'm with a patient, I understand my responsibility. I understand the privilege that I have and understand that I'm probably sharing incredibly hard things and I'm going do it the best way that I can, right? With compassion." Having witnessed it first hand, I can attest to Mariana doing it the best way that she can.Mariana Chavez Mac Gregor, MD, Medical Oncologist, MD Anderson Cancer CenterMariana Chavez Mac Gregor, MD, MSc, FASCO, is a tenured Professor in the Health Services Research Department, where she serves as ad interim Chair. She is also a Professor in the Breast Medical Oncology Department at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is a breast medical oncologist committed to improving the outcomes of her patients while preserving their quality of life and providing evidence-based, research-driven, compassionate care. She is recognized as a key opinion leader who is devoted to contributing to the field through patient care, research, and education by fostering the next generation of clinicians and researchers.Her research interests focus on outcomes and cancer care delivery. Her work extends to areas related treatment-related complications and to studying the impact and determinants of treatment delays. In addition, she has been involved in the planning, design, and implementation of clinical trials and has been deeply involved in guideline methodology, having participated in the development of national and international breast cancer treatment guidelines. She serves as the Executive Officer for international affairs at SWOG, where she leads the Latin America Initiative. She has served ASCO in many roles, recently completing her last year as a member of the Board of Directors and currently serving as the Chair-elect of the Scientific Program committee.