The science of surviving: Doctor/patient bond is key in the fight against breast cancer

Over 250,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Rodronda Smith was one of them. But she has been cancer-free for two years, in part, she believes, because of the impact of physician and researcher, Dr. Mothaffar F. Rimawi, whom she first met while she was a patient at the Ben Taub Breast Oncology Clinic.

As part of CultureMap's editorial series about Houston's fight to cure breast cancer, we look at what happens when one cancer researcher meets one survivor (or as we prefer "Thrivor") who has directly benefited from such research.

In the first of a three-part video series, "The Science of Surviving," we aim the camera at Rimawi, who does cutting-edge research at Baylor College of Medicine's Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, and Rodronda Smith to trace the close doctor-patient bond they developed during her bout with cancer.

This video series was commissioned by the Lester and Sue Smith Foundation on behalf of the Pink Well Challenge.