Dr. Peter Attia

And was there ever a sense of fear among the medical staff that we don't know what this is, we don't know how it's transmitted, and therefore we don't know how to protect each other or ourselves or other patients for that matter? Like, it's hard for me to imagine that given how much we take for granted today.

And was there ever a sense of fear among the medical staff that we don't know what this is, we don't know how it's transmitted, and therefore we don't know how to protect each other or ourselves or other patients for that matter? Like, it's hard for me to imagine that given how much we take for granted today.

Got it. For all intents and purposes, you were acting like this was Ebola without knowing. Absolutely.

Got it. For all intents and purposes, you were acting like this was Ebola without knowing. Absolutely.

And so you finished your residency in internal medicine. Did you go directly into your fellowship?

And so you finished your residency in internal medicine. Did you go directly into your fellowship?

And why did you pick oncology?

And why did you pick oncology?

I can really relate to that. When I was in my third year of medical school, I went to the NCI for three months with Steve Rosenberg. And it was the exact same experience. And I remember learning many lessons from Steve. One of them was that cancer diagnosis, and of course, at the NCI, as you know, nobody's showing up with stage one, two, or three cancer.

I can really relate to that. When I was in my third year of medical school, I went to the NCI for three months with Steve Rosenberg. And it was the exact same experience. And I remember learning many lessons from Steve. One of them was that cancer diagnosis, and of course, at the NCI, as you know, nobody's showing up with stage one, two, or three cancer.

By definition, every patient there is showing up with metastatic cancer, and they've progressed through all standard treatments. So these are people that have six months to live. And maybe 10% of them you actually come up with a durable remission for. But he said, look, cancer will do one of two things to a family. It will take a strong family and bring them much closer together.

By definition, every patient there is showing up with metastatic cancer, and they've progressed through all standard treatments. So these are people that have six months to live. And maybe 10% of them you actually come up with a durable remission for. But he said, look, cancer will do one of two things to a family. It will take a strong family and bring them much closer together.

It will take a fractured family and blow them wide apart. As a doctor, as a nurse, as in anybody in the field of oncology, your ability to kind of be there for that family is as important, potentially more important than it is in any other specialty of medicine.

It will take a fractured family and blow them wide apart. As a doctor, as a nurse, as in anybody in the field of oncology, your ability to kind of be there for that family is as important, potentially more important than it is in any other specialty of medicine.

So tell me a little bit about the state of oncology in the mid 80s when you're embarking on your medical oncology fellowship. Help people understand what the world of cancer looked like roughly 40 years ago.

So tell me a little bit about the state of oncology in the mid 80s when you're embarking on your medical oncology fellowship. Help people understand what the world of cancer looked like roughly 40 years ago.

What was the nature of the program? It was a three-year fellowship with a research track on the side, because obviously UCSF is such an academic place.

What was the nature of the program? It was a three-year fellowship with a research track on the side, because obviously UCSF is such an academic place.

You brought up the example of hep B and hepatocellular carcinoma. Was it understood at the time what we now know?

You brought up the example of hep B and hepatocellular carcinoma. Was it understood at the time what we now know?