Mohsin Soleja, M.D., hematologist and medical oncologist, is now seeing patients at Texas Oncology–Keller. Dr. Soleja shares what inspired his career in cancer care and what he looks forward to in the field.
What excites you most about your career?
No medical field is expected to change more than oncology over the next several decades. I am optimistic we will see significant breakthroughs in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy in the future, and I am excited to be a part of such an innovative specialty of medicine.
Taking care of cancer patients is a very humbling yet rewarding experience."
What inspired you to specialize in cancer care?
I always gravitated toward the field of oncology. As an undergrad, I cared for cancer patients who were in hospice care and worked in a lab that researched the effect of radiation on blood vessels. In medical school, I studied cellular growth pathways for prostate and colon cancer cells. During my residency, I specifically requested to take care of hospitalized cancer patients to understand their challenges. Taking care of cancer patients is a very humbling yet rewarding experience. However, I was not certain I would specialize in oncology until my final year of residency when a family member was diagnosed with breast cancer. After witnessing cancer drugs turn a 7-centimeter tumor into a shriveled, seed-like mass, I knew I had to pursue oncology.
What do you think the future of cancer treatment will look like?
First, with cancer treatment becoming more and more precise, we are seeing significant improvements in cancer drugs. We are classifying cancers into more specific subtypes at a molecular level, down to the genes and cellular pathways that drive cancer cells to grow. There is an ongoing effort to target these pathways with medications to stop cancer growth, making what once was a cancer cell’s strength, into a vulnerability.
Second, we are amidst a medical renaissance with immunotherapy, which amplifies the body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells. The current generation of immunotherapy drugs has only scratched the surface. Cellular and second-generation immunotherapies are on the horizon and are likely to expand patients’ treatment options.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy running, playing basketball, watching football, and spending time with my family. I also love to play chess – I’m trying to teach my children how to play, in hopes of having a pair of worthy adversaries in the future.
How are you feeling about the Cowboys this year with Dak back?
I’m excited to see Dak play. He had such a significant setback last year with his leg injury, but he has been very resilient. He should be poised for a comeback year and hopefully a deep playoff run. As a superstitious Cowboys fan, though, I know better than to say anything about a championship.