Advances in Care

Cancer Crusader: Challenging the Current State of Gynecologic Cancer

Episode 8
Cancer Crusader: Challenging the Current State of Gynecologic Cancer
Cancer Crusader: Challenging the Current State of Gynecologic Cancer

Radiation Oncologist Dr. Onyinye Balogun has a vendetta against cancer. After losing a close family member to the disease, she vowed to be part of the solution. Since then, Dr. Balogun has brought better radiation therapy to middle and low income countries, kicked off a genomic study to crack the code on cancer disparities, and has partnered with a former patient to redesign brachytherapy devices to improve the experience of patients with gynecologic cancers.

Inspired by her beloved aunt, Dr. Onyinye Balogun began her medical career with a mission in mind: to mitigate the suffering that people with cancer experience over the course of their life-saving treatments. Her approach has been multi-faceted and systematic. After being awarded New York Genome Center’s Polyethnic-1000 grant, Dr Balogun has led the investigation into potential genomic mutations that could be contributing to the disproportionate rates of uterine cancer diagnoses in Black women. Meanwhile, Dr. Balogun is also partnering with her former patient to update the outmoded and painful brachytherapy devices used in cervical cancer treatments.