“Dear Cancer: You Will No Longer Be in Control”

Shoja Rahimian, DO, Guides Patients Through the Fight of Their Lives

Dr. Shoja Rahimian meets his patients at a turning point of their stories — often just after a diagnosis has shattered their sense of normal.

“There’s anxiety, and fear of the unknown and of what’s in front of them,” said Shoja, a hematologist oncologist at Reading Hospital’s McGlinn Cancer Institute. “There are a lot of things that can be scary or overwhelming, but they need to know that no matter what they are facing, we’re here to help them.”

He sits with them. He listens. And when the weight of the moment becomes too heavy, he offers calm, clear direction. Not just answers — guidance. A way forward.

In his words: “Dear Cancer: You will no longer be in control.”

Strong Together

Shoja, 37, specializes in both blood disorders and cancer — a field he calls one of the most demanding, and most deeply human, in medicine.

“Of all the medical fields, this resonated the most with me,” he said. “It’s not just telling them what they have and what treatment is. It’s helping them make a lot of choices.”

And no two paths are the same. Some treatments are brief. Others are not. Some are aimed at cure. Others at comfort and quality of life. But all of them require something deeper: trust.

“Everybody is different. Everybody goes through different emotions,” he said. “It’s understanding each person individually — what their hangups are, their fears, their anxieties.”

He doesn’t talk at his patients. He talks with them.

That includes the tough conversations — about prognosis, side effects, long-term impacts. He doesn’t sugarcoat the truth, but he doesn’t let it dim the light either.

“My role is to be strong for them,” he said. “To be strong with them.”

And sometimes, that strength means crying with them.

“When they’re anxious, when they’re scared, I help them navigate those feelings,” he said. “If it means I give them a hug, or explain how things will be better — that helps me help the patient feel better. And when the patient feels better, I feel better too.”

A Team Like No Other

Shoja came to Reading Hospital, part of Tower Health, as a medical student from western Pennsylvania. He stayed and became chief resident because he saw something compelling.

“I was really impressed with their dedication to education,” he said.

Now, nine years later, he’s part of a team that offers world-class care and world-class support.

“We can be labeled as a community center, but we very much have ties to the academic world,” he said.

The McGlinn Cancer Institute offers access to clinical trials and medications not yet available elsewhere. Patients benefit from genetic counseling, on-site nutritionists, dedicated social workers who help with transportation and financial concerns, and a fellowship program that trains the next generation of oncologists.

“Each team member plays a vital role in supporting care,” he said. “That’s what makes McGlinn so special. We provide very personalized care.”

More Moments Matter

Shoja knows it’s the moments outside the exam room that matter most.

The father who now gets to walk his daughter down the aisle.

The grandmother who can hold her new grandchild.

The sister who can watch her sibling graduate.

“It’s the family members who are happy the patients will be there for another birthday,” he said. 

Those are the stories that stay with him.

“People are really strong,” he said. “And it’s a privilege that I get to see that in a lot of ways. It’s really taught me that the more support we can give each other, that’s how we can get through tough times.”

Cancer may knock people down. But it doesn’t have to take away their power, he said.

Because as long as he has a say, cancer doesn’t get the last word.