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Focus on Premal Thaker, MD, MS

Premal Thaker, MD, MS is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the division of gynecologic oncology. Her areas of specialty include cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer.

Dr. Thaker sees patients at two locations:

Center for Advance Medicine, Gynecologic Treatment Center, 4921 Parkview Place, 13th floor, Suite C, St. Louis, MO 63110.

Center for Women’s Wellness and Fetal Health, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, 3023 North Ballas Rd., Building D, fourth floor, Suite 450, St. Louis, MO 63131.

FOR AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL:
314-362-3181 (Center for Advanced Medicine)
314-966-6071 (Center For Women’s Wellness and Fetal Health)

What happened in the course of schooling to make you choose gynecologic oncology as your specialty?

Internal medicine initially interested me, because I wanted long-term relationships with my patients. I was attracted to gynecologic oncology because it allows those long-term relationships to develop and also provides an opportunity to take care of patients medically, as well as surgically and psychologically
.
Because I meet my patients when they are first diagnosed with cancer and emotionally vulnerable, I am with them through a difficult time in their life. There needs to be a lot of compassion for them during surgery and chemotherapy. You become a part of their family as you see them go through a range of emotions during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, and get to know their life goals. Ultimately, you are with them through end of life. Some people find it depressing, but I find it rewarding. I learn so much from how my patients cope – they give back to me so much more than I can give to them.

My grandmother had breast cancer, and her oncologic experience was not ideal. She had a medical oncologist and a surgical oncologist, and I was always wondering, “Which one do I call?” In gynecologic oncology, we take care of our patients from both medically and surgically – it is peace of mind for the patient not to have to worry about “Am I calling the right doctor in the middle of the night?”
Dr. Thaker (far right) with family in Scotland



What brought you to Washington University?

I wanted to have an academic and a clinical practice. Washington University has a great reputation and very strong leadership in gynecologic oncology under David Mutch, MD. At the time, I had no ties to this area. I’ve never lived in the Midwest, and have been pleasantly surprised. I’m happy here – the people are very friendly and everything is nice and convenient. I grew up in south Florida, did my residency training at the University of Pennsylvania on the East coast, my fellowship training at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and now I’m here in St. Louis. I joke that at some point I might get to the West coast because that is the only coast left.

Which aspect of your practice is most interesting?

The most fascinating aspect of my practice is the variety of my day -- in the sense that I give both medical care and surgical care. As I mentioned before, I also find the long-lasting relationships that I form with my patients very fulfilling.

Are there new developments in your field that you are excited about?

One of the most promising developments in our field is more individualized care for cancer patients –not a “one-prescription-fits-everybody”. We are at the forefront of molecular oncology to help us understand what is different about one person’s cancer versus cancer in someone else. It is very exciting to be able to discover and comprehend the biology of the disease.

What research are you involved in?

My interest lies in studying neuroendocrine and stress factors that lead to cancer progression in ovarian cancer. My approach is holistic -- to understand how stressors, such as anxiety, depression or just life in general, may affect a patient’s health. Traditionally, we did not delve into a patient’s socio-economic or educational backgrounds to determine what roles these may play in overall outcomes or treatment we can offer. I am particularly interested in looking at these variables because I come from an Eastern tradition. My family’s origin is Indian and there is a lot to be said about meditation and spirituality.

I think everyone knows someone who beat cancer by practicing some type of alternative medicine – even if it is gardening for relaxation. My grandmother was a very spiritual, meditative person. When she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, she was told she had less than one year to live, and she survived for five years. She combined conventional therapy with non-conventional therapy, and her medical oncologist was very supportive. That probably had a huge impact on her survival and keeping her cancer stable. I truly think there has to be biology behind the reason some non-conventional treatments work and we just have to find it.

Is there a particular award or achievement that is most gratifying to you?

It is gratifying to get national awards and acknowledgement of my research because the work I do is not traditional. I am very fortunate because the recognition allows me to continue to receive funding through grants so that I am able to maintain my research.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice is to treat every patient with respect -- how you would want to be treated. Another piece of advice is to realize you will never stop learning. If you feel like you know everything, you will never be able to push ahead or succeed further. I think that is the key.

If you weren’t a doctor, what would you like to be doing?

I would probably be teaching, because it is another way to interact with people and impact their lives. Especially if you can reach them at an early age, like grade school, because you can teach them a lot of life skills.

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Copyright 2013 Washington University School of Medicine