SEATTLE: The Premier Seattle Monthly, September 2007 issue 

Julie Gralow, M.D., Breast Cancer Oncologist
By Yemaya Maurer

Practice: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and University of Washington School of Medicine
Hospital affiliation: University of Washington Medical Center
Additional affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Education: University of Southern California

Why did you choose medicine and oncology in particular?
I always knew I wanted to go into medicine, but I didn’t know what kind. When I was an undergrad, I did research in a cancer lab at Stanford where I was making antibodies against patients’ cancers to use in treating them. We were taking science and making it work directly in patient care. From that point on, I was hooked—I knew I wanted to study oncology.

What drives your passion for treating breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and we’re all impacted by it. Even if we don’t get it, we’ll have multiple friends and family who will. I’m working for all those women and women of the future.

What is the best part of your job?
I get to work with women on their fitness and nutrition. I formed Team Survivor Northwest [an exercise and fitness program for female cancer survivors] in 1995, and I’m totally thrilled to promote it. Team Survivor is helping women in all stages of treatment or recovery and at any fitness level—some women are learning to walk around the block again and others are participating in triathlons.

What is the goal of the research you’re involved with?
Most of my individual research focuses on bone metastases in breast cancer. If cancer spreads, bone is the most common site it spreads to. We’re trying to disrupt this.

What are two things women can do to lower their risk of getting breast cancer?
Living a healthy life can definitely reduce your risk. We don’t take enough time to sweat.  All you really need to do is get your heart rate up for 1.5 to 2 hours a week. Secondary prevention—getting your screenings—is also really important. It won’t reduce your risk of getting breast cancer, but it will reduce your risk of dying from breast cancer.

How has your practice changed in recent years?
One tremendously good thing is that I have a lot of long-term survivors now—women who have survived breast cancer for five or more years, some as long as 20 years. We still need to monitor the long-term effects of their treatment and help them maximize their wellness.

How do you think the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer will change in the future?
We have a new tool—the breast MRI—that’s very exciting. We’re impressed by its ability to detect cancers that might be missed on mammograms, but we’re struggling with how to responsibly introduce it because it’s expensive. How do we standardize this and use it for women who [will] benefit most from it?

What is the most fun you’ve had recently?
It might sound strange, but my hobby is international breast cancer advocacy. I’ve been a part of oncology projects in Eastern Europe and China. I’ve stirred things up a bit and encouraged people to march in the streets for breast cancer awareness. It’s so fun helping women help themselves.