How Patient Prioritization Paved the Way for a Legacy of Oncology Care: With D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD; and Robert Kantor, MD

How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.

In this episode, Dr Camidge sat down with Robert Kantor, MD. Dr Kantor is associate medical director of Medical Oncology & Hematology at Private Health Management.

Drs Camidge and Kantor reflected on Dr Kantor's decades-long career. Inspired by his father’s devotion to patients, Dr Kantor fast-tracked his education, entering medical school at Wayne State University without completing an undergraduate degree. Following fellowship, he intentionally chose private practice over academic oncology to focus on direct patient care and making a difference in the lives of patients' families.

Dr Kantor’s career illustrates the shifting landscape of American medicine. He has navigated various oncology practice models, including a corporate merger that he felt compromised patient care. In 2008, he took the risk of launching his own solo practice, successfully bringing trusted staff and a dedicated patient base with him.

Dr Kantor eventually retired from clinical practice due to burnout, which was exacerbated by corporate management challenges and the inefficiencies of electronic medical records. His retirement evolved into an "encore career" as an associate medical director for Private Health Management. In this consultative role, he provides clinical oversight for complex oncology cases, helping patients navigate toward personalized cancer vaccines, clinical trials, and cutting-edge therapies. Dr Kantor expressed that this work has brought him renewed enthusiasm for the field of oncology, as it allows him to use his decades of experience with a basis of a better work-life balance. He remains passionate about how these high-end, personalized technologies will eventually make their way into routine clinical practice to benefit the broader patient population.