San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Amy Lang, MD
Medical oncologist Dr. Amy Lang recalls, even in high school, she knew she wanted to do something challenging that really mattered. She hoped to help people when they needed it the most and always knew she wanted to be a physician. It was an experience in medical school that led her to decide on a career in oncology. Lang saw cancer take the lives of a close childhood friend and two family members within two years. “Watching that happen and watching them go through that, I realized this is what really matters,” she said. “I saw that this is what mattered to me the most in medicine.”
Lang has now been practicing medicine for 25 years. She is board certified in oncology and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Throughout her career, Lang has been recognized for her contributions and has received numerous awards. In 2016, she was honored by The Patient Institute for excellence in patient care. In 2009, she was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame.
Many of the cancer patients Lang sees in her practice are young women in their 30s who have been diagnosed with more aggressive forms of the disease such as triple-negative or HER2-positive breast cancer. While family history is a factor, she said only about 8 % of breast cancers are genetic. Diet and lifestyle are the main determinants. “The widest misconception is that it’s genetic and that if you don’t have a family history, you don’t have anything to worry about.” She said women who exercise regularly and follow the right kind of diet have a 20 % lower risk of ever getting breast cancer in the first place. Lang also pointed out that there is a link between tobacco and alcohol and breast cancer. “It looks like about four drinks a week or more is where you begin to see a rise in the incidents in breast cancer,” she said. “And it’s linear, so the more you drink above that four drinks a week, the higher your risk of breast cancer.”
The private, not-for-profit foundation Lang helped establish more than a decade ago is another way she continues to help people when they need it the most. The ThriveWell Cancer Foundation assists San Antonio area cancer patients struggling to pay insurance premiums, co-pays, and other costs. Lang has seen patients stop treatments when they found out how much they would have to pay out of pocket. Since its inception, ThriveWell has given about $5 million in financial assistance, and Lang said they expect to provide approximately $2 million this year.
The organization also funds seed money for up-and-coming cancer researchers. Lang said any cancer researcher in San Antonio is eligible to apply for a grant. ThriveWell’s third component is its wellness program which is open to anyone in the San Antonio area who has had any cancer. The free nutrition and exercise classes are at several locations throughout the city. They also are available online. For more information, go to ThriveWell.org.
Lang said studies show a dramatic survival advantage with reduction of recurrence for people with cancer who follow a healthy lifestyle. Just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week can make all the difference.
“We’re very excited to be able to offer this program to San Antonio,” Lang said. “It’s grown exponentially over the last 15 years so that we’re able to really reach a lot of people across the whole city.”