10 Questions with Damian Dupuy, MD
The interventional radiologist at Cape Cod Hospital, who specializes in minimally invasive tumor ablation, shares he is a more compassionate caregiver to his patients after surviving cancer himself.
About eight years ago, Damian Dupuy, MD, experienced a life-changing moment. While playing golf in Hyannis Port, he felt a crack in his side. He initially thought it was a muscle pull, but a CAT scan at Cape Cod Hospital later revealed he had a tumor the size of a softball that cracked during his golf swing—and he was faced with a grim diagnosis. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to live or not,” says Dr. Dupuy.
Up until this point, the Cape Cod native had been enjoying life as a professor at Brown University, where for 15 years he mentored medical students, fellows and residents. Under his guidance, academic radiologists received hands-on training by witnessing day-to-day practices and procedures.
“Teaching made me a better, overall well-rounded radiologist and kept me on the cutting edge of advances,” says Dr. Dupuy, who was born at Cape Cod Hospital and grew up on the Cape. “It’s so gratifying and stimulating to learn throughout my career.”
Damian Dupuy, MD, interventional radiologist at Cape Cod Hospital,
specializes in minimally invasive tumor treatments.
Thanks to major surgery, the tumor was removed and Dr. Dupuy was on the path to recovery. But after going through this major life event, he decided to scale back his academic career and take a position closer to home at Cape Cod Hospital. Dr. Dupuy also said it was important to him to give back to his community.
Today, as the Director of Tumor Ablation at Cape Cod Hospital who specializes in a relatively new field of medicine called Interventional Oncology, Dr. Dupuy diagnoses and treats solid tumors with a minimally invasive approach. A small needle-like device, placed through the skin, employs extreme cold or heat to immediately kill the tumors without the need for large surgical incisions, chemotherapy or radiation.
“As a cancer survivor myself, I have become a much more compassionate caregiver to my patients,” says Dr. Dupuy. “I am lucky that I survived, and I can give my gift to other people.”
When we recently sat down with Dr. Dupuy at his office in the radiology department at Cape Cod Hospital, he shared with us his passion for pickleball and gardening, his mantra, what he would like to accomplish before the end of this year and what he loves most about his job.
1. What gets you out of bed in the morning? What’s your passion?
Extending people’s lives or reducing their pain and suffering.
2. Mantra or quote you live by?
You come from a position of strength when you ask for help, and first do no harm.
3. What do you love most about your job?
I love interacting with patients and providing a minimally invasive tumor treatment option for local cure or tumor control as well as pain relief.
4. During the procedures you perform, you typically play music for patients. In what ways does this help patients?
There are a lot of healing qualities to music, and it provides a very relaxing environment. It allows me to do my procedure with less stress and anxiety for the patient because they concentrate on the lyrics and music. The first patient I treated today was 79 and wanted to listen to Elvis.
5. What would you like to accomplish before the end of the year?
Educate patients, their families and all of their healthcare workers about the amazing things that we do here with our minimally invasive outpatient procedures.
6. Best advice you have ever received from a friend, family member or coworker?
Do what you think is right, and don’t worry about what other people think.
7. When was your last moment of self-care?
I recently visited my brother in Wisconsin and did some hiking and relaxing.
8. What three people, dead or alive, would you like to have at a dinner party?
Robin Williams, Abraham Lincoln and Bill Gates.
9. What on the horizon are you most excited about?
FDA approval of my invention that I have been working on for 10 years. I founded a biotech company called Theromics Incorporated, which has developed HeatSYNC technology to create more effective ablation zones during image-guided thermal ablation of soft tissue. It’s essentially an injectable gel that supercharges the thermal effects of ablation devices improving the size and speed of thermal ablation.
10. What would a perfect day off look like to you?
A great cup of morning coffee at 7; a morning walk on the beach; some gardening, kayaking and eight to 10 games of pickleball with my partner, kids and friends; a nice dinner; and unwind with some TV or reading. And in bed by 10:30 p.m.
