Christopher Luminais, MD, is a radiation oncologist who specializes in the treating prostate cancer and other genitourinary cancers.
He also researches treatments like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided brachytherapy and other advanced approaches to treat prostate cancer, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).
Meet a Radiation Oncologist
We asked Luminais our 7 quick questions to get to know him better.
1. What has most inspired and shaped your approach to patient care?
Relationships. Whenever we’re treating a patient, we need to get to know them. Not just about their diagnosis and their cancer and all of the technical details that go up to go into a treatment, but also: Where do they live? What do they value? What do they need out of their care? What’s feasible for them in their life right now?
I think when we get to know a patient at that level, we are able to offer better care. I not only enjoy getting to know patients well; I feel like getting to know patients that well helps us tailor the treatment in ways that can help get them better cancer outcomes.
2. What’s your favorite part of your job?
The diversity of what I get to do. Some days, I’m doing procedures like brachytherapy, where I’m very hands-on in the OR. Other days, I’m spending time face to face in clinic, getting to know my patients really well. And then other parts of my job are more desk work-based, where we’re doing a lot of technical work to make sure that our treatment plans are as precise and sophisticated as they can be. I really enjoy getting to bounce between those different practice environments. I think all of them are really important and rewarding in their own ways, and I appreciate getting to do all of them within one career.
3. What’s your biggest fear as a patient?
That maybe we won’t have a solution, that maybe there won’t be a treatment for whatever we’re there for.
4. What do you do for stress relief?
I spend a lot of time making ceramic art. My wife and I are both members at a community ceramics studio in Charlottesville. My wife actually teaches some classes there, so that’s a fun, stress-relieving hobby for me. I also love to spend time getting outdoors. Hiking, playing disc golf, things like that that get me outside are always fun and relieve stress for me.
5. Dogs or cats?
I am the proud owner of two cats. I love both, but I’m a cat person right now.
6. Last movie you watched? Thumbs up or down?
The original Die Hard movie. Definitely a thumbs-up!
7. Best advice you’ve ever heard?
“Don’t stop listening” — I had a patient tell me that. It’s one of the patients I met as a third-year medical student. I spent a lot of time with him. He opened up to me about his experience with the medical system in general, with some successes and some not so successful experiences for him.
I think medicine can get so complicated, with so many different tests and so many different specialties and so many different providers for one patient. It can feel like we get myopic and we’re just focusing on this result or that result, but maybe we’re not listening to the big picture. I think if you listen well, your patient has a lot to say and is always going to help you help them better.