As a child, EJ Beck was treated for a rare childhood thyroid cancer at NYU Langone Health. About 10 years after the scan that declared her cancer-free, Beck was admitted to the No. Her 1 choice for medical school: NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Her transformation from pediatric patient to aspiring doctor offers a glimpse into NYU Langone’s impact on shaping future clinicians and one woman’s mission to honor—and join—those who saved her life.
The insidious onset of thyroid cancer
Beck’s parents were vigilant about her medical care, but it wasn’t until a random dermatology appointment that a doctor noticed a lump protruding from the middle of Beck’s neck. The truth was revealed shortly after: a rare, dangerous childhood thyroid tumor had entered her neck and was in danger of spreading.
“I was 10,” Beck recalls. “I didn’t understand the full weight of the diagnosis, but I remember the kindness of everyone at NYU Langone who took care of me. They made us all feel supported—not just me, but my parents, too.”
Navigating Therapy: A Child’s Perspective on Cancer Care
“A painless neck should always be checked sooner rather than later,” said Kepal N. Patel, MD, who was Beck’s physician and who is now chief of the Division of Endocrine Surgery and chief surgeon at NYU Langone’s Thyroid Program. “Having a large tumor in a tiny throat can pose an increased risk to surrounding structures and increase the risk of surgery. The tumor can affect the nerves in the vocal cords, affect their voice, and spread to the lymph nodes. He had to move quickly to avoid these concerns.”
Thyroid cancer is uncommon in childhood, and Beck’s case was quite rare, something that is not usually seen even in a high-volume practice. It was a big responsibility – a big tumor in a small neck, with the well-being and normal life of the child at risk.
Dr. Patel performed a total thyroidectomy with neck dissection, a surgical procedure in which the entire thyroid, along with surrounding affected lymph nodes, is removed. This saved Beck’s life while preserving her ability to speak. Although voice changes are possible after a thyroidectomy, her voice remained the same, thanks to the team’s careful work to avoid damage to her vocal cords.
After surgery, Beck was treated with radioactive iodine (RAI). RAI therapy is often used after a thyroidectomy when the cancer has spread. It helps kill any cancer cells and prevents recurrence.
“I got really good at being still under sweeps,” Beck said. Through the wear and tear of the treatments, even the short walk from the subway to the hospital felt impossibly long.
Beck had the added responsibility of taking radiation precautions during treatment to protect her family members, especially her younger sisters. Being around such radiation can be a risk factor for cancer later on.
Her parents and grandparents worked as a team to protect Beck from the unnatural expectations of resilience that sick children often carry. But when some other kids were having the most carefree times of their lives, Beck’s was filled with anxiety. She said she still nervously checks her throat for lumps, even when she gets something as harmless as a cold.
The decision to pursue medicine
After the recession hit, Beck saw life in the hospital as something she had to leave behind. She just attended a graduation for high school students who were childhood cancer survivors, helped by the fact that her oncologist of many years retired that same year. She suddenly realized that more than anything she wanted to give back to the same field that had saved her life.
We [the patients] he did this amazing thing at such young ages. We are here and we can choose what the next phase of our lives will be. The fact that I graduated from being a cancer patient at the same time that this doctor who meant so much to me was retiring solidified my next move.”
EJ Beck, NYU Langone Health
When the email announcing her acceptance to NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine arrived—off the waiting list, no less—Beck was stunned. “I had to process it for several minutes,” he says with a laugh. “I needed to make sure it was legit before I called everyone I knew. I just couldn’t believe that I was going to a top institution with a guarantee that I would leave here without any debt. It means that all my friends and I have met here, we have to worry about becoming the best doctors we can be.”
Another wave of emotion hit Beck when she entered the hospital to start classes. “It was the same entrance I remembered as a child, and I walked through those doors a whole new person. I was looking at all the other patients coming in right next to me and understanding what it was like to be in their shoes.”
A Mosaic of Experiences: Shaping the Future of Health Care
As Beck begins her medical training, she finds herself part of an extremely diverse and capable cohort. She likens her classmates to Swiss Army knives—ones who will bring not only knowledge and skills to their practice, but also deep wells of empathy born of personal experience to serve every patient who walks through their doors.
Beck now regularly makes the same ride from the subway to the hospital that she once found so difficult as a patient, and each time, she’s surprised by her gratitude for how far she’s come. Her cancer experience has informed many parts of the doctor she hopes to be, including making sure patients are properly informed about precautions to take during radiation treatments and how clinicians need to screen patients keeping in mind the whole picture of their health. But most of all, she appreciates recognizing the humanity of her patients and families along with their cancer — because yes, she aspires to one day become a pediatric oncologist.
