Markey oncologist Lowell Anthony says it takes a village to treat cancer

Dr. Lowell Anthony, an oncologist at the UK Markey Cancer Center, sat down with us for the latest installment of Making the Rounds, a blog series where you’ll get to know the providers at UK HealthCare. Dr. Anthony specializes in treating neuroendocrine cancer, a rare form of the disease that begins in the hormone-producing cells of the body.

Tell us about the types of patients you see at Markey.

I’ve spent the last 30 years seeing patients with a wide variety of different types of neuroendocrine cancer. My focus is on tumors that are called carcinoids. These tumors can arise in the gastrointestinal tract, they can arise in the pancreas, they can arise in the lung. These cells are dispersed all through the body but there are certain areas where they’re concentrated.

What do you find most rewarding about working at Markey?

It’s the multidisciplinary approach we take with our patients and the collegiality of the people I work with. When a patient comes to Markey, we develop a care plan across specialties because it takes a village, really, to treat cancer. And we develop that care plan quickly so that the patient doesn’t have to make a lot of trips back and forth. I think that’s the real value for our patients.

What’s your biggest fear?

Not finding a parking space.

What’s your favorite food?

Sushi. I like eel a lot, so the caterpillar roll is my favorite. That’s got a lot of eel in it.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

The worst job I’ve ever had was in a chicken house putting chickens in their crates for travel. It was challenging, but I could probably still do it today, if I had to.

What’s the best part about working and living in Lexington?

It’s a relatively small community but it has big community opportunities. I look at it as an undiscovered environment – it’s sort of the best kept secret. The climate is great, we have excellent restaurants, there’s plenty to do and having the undergraduate campus around us just makes Lexington feel alive and vibrant.

Watch a video interview with Dr. Anthony, where he tells us about the most exciting things happening in cancer research and treatment today.