[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/balancing-service-and-science-how-military-experience-shapes-dr-avishek-kumars-approach-to-cancer-care\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/balancing-service-and-science-how-military-experience-shapes-dr-avishek-kumars-approach-to-cancer-care\/","headline":"Balancing Service and Science: How Military Experience Shapes Dr. Avishek Kumar\u2019s Approach to Cancer Care","name":"Balancing Service and Science: How Military Experience Shapes Dr. Avishek Kumar\u2019s Approach to Cancer Care","description":"Balancing Service and Science: How Military Experience Shapes Dr. Avishek Kumar\u2019s Approach to Cancer Care January 22, 2026 For Avishek Kumar, MD, the journey into cancer care began with a deep family history of healthcare and took shape during his years of military service. In his years of experiences as a Lieutenant Colonel in the […]","datePublished":"2026-01-22","dateModified":"2026-01-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/#Person","name":"ceastway","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/","identifier":5,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","width":506,"height":228}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Kumar_Avishek-1065-sq.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Kumar_Avishek-1065-sq.jpg","height":2400,"width":2400},"url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/balancing-service-and-science-how-military-experience-shapes-dr-avishek-kumars-approach-to-cancer-care\/","about":["All Cancers"],"wordCount":1295,"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBalancing Service and Science: How Military Experience Shapes Dr. Avishek Kumar\u2019s Approach to Cancer Care\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 22, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor Avishek Kumar, MD, the journey into cancer care began with a deep family history of healthcare and took shape during his years of military service. In his years of experiences as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force and as a medical oncologist who practices in the Edison, NJ, offices of Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists, Dr. Kumar has gained a unique perspective that guides his approach to patient care.\u201cThere\u2019s a sense of camaraderie in oncology,\u201d Dr. Kumar says. \u201cIt\u2019s similar in the military\u2014you\u2019re part of one unit with the same mission.\u201dRegional Cancer Care Associates is a group of more than 90 medical oncologists and hematologists who treat patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers and benign blood disorders at more than 20 locations throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, DC area. They strive to educate patients while providing innovative care. Here, we discuss physical therapy\u2019s role in breast cancer rehabilitation.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFollowing in His Family\u2019s Footsteps While Carving His Own PathHealthcare is a family business for Dr. Kumar.\u201cBoth of my parents are doctors. I have grandparents and cousins who are doctors,\u201d he says. \u201cGrowing up around your family, you have a tendency to follow in their footsteps.\u201dSurrounded by a family dedicated to medicine and high-quality care, Dr. Kumar understood the impact of compassionate, leading-edge healthcare. But while he always knew\u00a0 that he wanted to pursue a medical career, another influential passion took root in his childhood\u2014aviation.\u201cI watched Top Gun as a kid. That\u2019s what started my interest,\u201d Dr. Kumar says. \u201cI loved taking trips on airplanes to different places. I was learning about military history and different types of airplanes. In college and medical school, I took flying lessons. I was always drawn to it.\u201dDespite his interest, Dr. Kumar says he never considered a military aviation career, choosing to keep his focus on medicine. He pursued degrees in biology and archeology at Rutgers College before earning his medical degree at Saint George\u2019s University of Medicine.After graduating, he learned about opportunities in the Air Force Reserves that would allow him to chase both of his passions.\u201cI realized I could be a doctor and break the sound barrier in a fighter jet, both of these personal aspirations of mine,\u201d he says. \u201cI could serve my country and meet all these people from all walks of life and learn from their perspectives. And that\u2019s influenced my approach to healthcare.\u201dDr. Kumar continued his medical training with an internal medicine residency at St. Michael\u2019s Medical Center, a geriatric medicine fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, a hematology and oncology fellowship at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, and completed flight surgeon school with the Air Force Reserve.Meeting Patient Needs with Geriatric OncologyDuring his internal medicine training, Dr. Kumar began to explore oncology, a field he grew more interested in the more he learned about it. After rotating with different faculty members who were oncologists, he was drawn to the idea of seeing patients and managing their care over longer periods of time.\u201cPeople always think of oncology as depressing,\u201d he says. \u201cBut in reality, I\u2019m seeing these patients over and over again on a frequent basis. I\u2019m getting to know them, learning their stories, becoming their friends. You want to take care of your friends. There\u2019s a longitudinal benefit to that kind of long-term care and teamwork I was drawn to.\u201dDr. Kumar says the perspective he has gained from the different needs and experiences of the people he serves alongside in the military informs his approach to geriatric oncology.\u201cObviously, older people are just a different type of adult. Many of my patients lead active lives with their families,\u201d he says. \u201cI saw that older people have specific needs both in general and when they have cancer. You have to tweak and adjust what you\u2019re doing accordingly, because when we address those needs, we can dramatically improve patients\u2019 quality of life while they\u2019re being treated for cancer.\u201dLooking to the Future: Improving Quality of Life with Treatment AdvancementsDr. Kumar believes treatment for cancer should be a part of a patient\u2019s life, not their whole life. His practice is driven by focusing on each patient and their well-being in addition to treating their cancer. He believes recent treatment advancements and evolving technologies are key to preserving quality of life in older cancer patients.\u201cIn general, people are living longer now. Older adults are still playing pickleball and taking trips. They\u2019re running marathons and doing things that were considered inconceivable decades ago,\u201d Dr. Kumar says. \u201cCancer is often considered a disease of aging, but many people aren\u2019t sitting in a rocking chair, reminiscing about the old days, they\u2019re living active lives. We want them to be able to continue to do that.\u201dHe says targeted therapies and immunotherapies allow physicians to treat cancer in a more efficient way, often leading to more effective treatment results and lessened side effects. He also notes that patients can be treated close to home without being hospitalized, allowing them to remain engaged in their lives and communities.\u201cYou can have the best cancer treatment in the universe, but if you\u2019re driving two hours to get it, or if you\u2019re sick and miserable all of time, that affects your quality of life,\u201d he says. \u201cIdeally, it should be a balance. We\u2019ve already come a long way in finding that balance, and the beauty is that the technology\u2019s still evolving.\u201d***Avishek Kumar is one of more than 90 medical oncologists and hematologists who practice with RCCA at New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C., area. RCCA\u2019s cancer specialists see more than 26,000 new patients each year and provide care to more than 245,000 established patients, collaborating closely with those patients\u2019 other physicians. RCCA physicians offer patients innovative therapies, including immunotherapies and targeted therapy, as well as access to approximately 300 clinical trials. In addition to serving patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders, RCCA care centers also provide infusion services to people with a number of non-oncologic conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Crohn\u2019s disease, asthma, iron-deficiency anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis\u2014who take intravenously-administered medications.To learn more about RCCA, call 1-844-346-7222 or visit RCCA.com\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twe are here for you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844-346-7222. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the\u00a0RCCA location\u00a0nearest you.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequest an appointment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRELATED ARTICLES\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDeciding Where to Receive Cancer Care: RCCA Oncologists Outline Key 5 Considerations\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cMy uncle\u2019s neighbor was diagnosed with the exact same cancer, I think, last year and his specialist has been wonderful. I\u2019m going to get you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen You Diagnose (or Suspect) Cancer: 3 Reasons to Refer Your Patients to RCCA\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cWhat happens next?\u201d \u201cWhere should I go for treatment?\u201d They are questions physicians often hear after informing a patient that they have identified confirmed or\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Blood Work\u2019 and Cancer Detection: 2 RCCA Oncologists Explain What Doctors Look for in Your CBC\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cYou\u2019re going to feel a little pinch.\u201d Each year, tens of millions of Americans hear that phrase, or words to the same effect, just before\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Balancing Service and Science: How Military Experience Shapes Dr. Avishek Kumar\u2019s Approach to Cancer Care","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/balancing-service-and-science-how-military-experience-shapes-dr-avishek-kumars-approach-to-cancer-care\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]