Tufts doctor's specialty is empathy

Dr. Katie Wakeley has been selected as a Tufts-New England Medical Center "Rising Star," for her ability to connect with patients. "It's the most rewarding aspect of my job," she said. (SUZANNE KREITER/GLOBE STAFF)

In the long, bleak catalog of cancers, gynecological ones are buried somewhere in the public consciousness between thyroid and bladder. These women's cancers -- ovarian, cervical, and others -- are less common than the big, well-publicized threats of breast, colon, and lung, but that doesn't make them less deadly.

Dr. Katie Wakeley, chief of the division of gynecologic oncology at Tufts-New England Medical Center, is a specialist in cancers that affect the female genital tract.

"This is a unique field because it draws from many different specialties," says Wakeley, 38, who will be honored next month as a Tufts-New England Medical Center "Rising Star" for embodying "the best practices of individual and family-centered care."

Wakeley gravitated toward gynecological oncology because of this jack-of-all-trades nature of the work. "You stay with your patients from beginning to end, " she says. "Diagnosis, counseling. You do surgery. If necessary, you administer chemotherapy and work with radiation oncology. And you do palliative care."

The result is that she forms an intimate bond with her patients and their families. "It's the most rewarding aspect of my job."

Wakeley was born in Okinawa, Japan, where her father was posted with the US Air Force. Her family soon returned to Greenfield, and she's been in Massachusetts for most of her life, taking her undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts ("It was the best time of my life," she says, laughing).

Like most future physicians, she always knew she wanted to be a doctor, but there remained the question of specialty. Ob/gyn drew her, but she liked the biology of cancer therapy, and oncology was an evolving area for research. Then, when she began her medical residency, she met her first gynecologic cancer patients. "These were remarkable women, and they were sick and really needed your help." Her path seemed clear.

When she joined Tufts-NEMC in 2002, Wakeley was the lone gynecologic oncologist. "It's a very small and collegial field," she says. (Tufts-NEMC has added two more specialists since Wakeley's arrival.) "Only about 30 people complete fellowships in it every year, and all the departments are located in big cities. I think we need more."

Gynecological cancer research receives less funding than more publicized cancers. Wakeley thinks the reason for the relative paucity of specialists is partly one of attitude. "A lot of people go into ob/gyn because they like the happy part of healthy patients and babies. Cancer treatment is much more emotionally taxing."

In addition to enjoying clinical work ("I love clinical trials!"), Wakeley gets enormous satisfaction from the teaching aspect of her job. "You impact someone's life by giving them care, but you can impact many more people's lives by teaching someone how to do it."

But connecting with patients is Wakeley's particular gift, according to the Tufts-NEMC awards committee, and her empathy has a wellspring. Shortly before she began a postgraduate fellowship, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. "I personally know the anxiety of waiting for results," says Wakeley. "It's helped me understand the other side."

Fact Sheet

Hometown: Brookline.

Hobbies: Playing with her two young nephews. Also, since she's a New Englander, "I'm obsessed with the Red Sox and the Patriots." She enjoys Maine beaches in the summer, skiing at Killington in the winter.

On cancer screening: "Know your family history. Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We know a lot about genetics, and your doctor could recommend tests based on that."

Advice to future physicians: "Treat patients as individuals. Value your relationships with them. I learn from them. They're strong."