When breath becomes air.

#ASTRO17 attendees had the unique opportunity to hear Lucy Kalanithi, wife of the late author of "When Breath Becomes Air" Paul Kalanithi, and Heather Wakelee, Paul’s medical oncologist at Stanford. Together they discussed in both heart-wrenching and uplifting detail Paul’s flourishing life, untimely cancer diagnosis, and lasting influence on our field. Lucy poignantly described the pivotal moment when Paul’s future—the same ambitious future we all envision in residency—evaporated in an instant. And along with it the gulf that often stands between physician and patient. It is difficult, if not impossible, for most of us to comprehend the vulnerability felt by those faced with life-threatening illness. Important take-aways were recs on providing patients pressing for estimated survival times with ranges bookended by outcomes of people you have actually treated as well as limiting patient vulnerability by maximizing accessibility. Oncology is a science but it’s also an art, and Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s life and work is a beautiful reminder of the momentous impact of the patient-physician relationship.