Suzanne Cole, M.D.

Meet Dr. Cole

Medical Oncologist and Hematologist in Dallas

Dr. Suzanne Cole and her team provide compassionate care for patients with cancer and blood-related disorders in a welcoming, community clinic.

Throughout her career, Dr. Cole has cared for cancer and hematology patients. With cancer in particular, she says, it’s vital for patients to fully trust their physicians.  

“With cancer treatment, you’re putting your life into the hands of that care team,” she says. “There should be a human connection between the patient and the oncologist. A foundation of trust is essential. Each patient needs guidance that comes with honesty, empathy, and compassion.”

Dr. Cole proudly brings that level of care to each and every patient at the Richardson/Plano and Redbird clinics. Her goal is to deliver UT Southwestern’s exceptional standard of care to the northern suburbs, giving cancer and hematology patients a convenient location to receive their chemotherapy or immunotherapy infusions and other medical treatments. 

“Truly a Calling”

Dr. Cole recognizes that oncology and hematology can be challenging fields that aren’t necessarily a good fit for every physician. But ever since her medical training, she’s known that this was the type of work she was meant to do.

“This specialty is truly a calling,” she says. “And there is nothing I would rather do with my time than dedicate my life to finding a way to help people stay alive in the face of this life-threatening disease. I find such great honor in doing this important work. It really is a matter of life and death for my patients – and a matter of finding their way to a good life while going through cancer treatment. I see myself as a soldier in the trenches, walking with my patients, guiding them, fighting for them in their daily battles.”

Dr. Cole and her team work closely with patients to ensure the best treatment for each individual’s specific circumstances. She says for some it means finding a path for the patient to survive cancer; for others, the goal is to help patients endure treatment or live longer and maintain as much quality of life as possible in the face of terminal cancer.

Leading-edge Treatments

Although for most patients a cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event, Dr. Cole and her team work to make it manageable – not only through compassionate, patient-centered care, but also by providing the best of what UT Southwestern has to offer: some of the leading physician scientists in medicine, the most leading-edge technology, and the latest cancer research. 

Dr. Cole is encouraged to see emerging cancer treatments, such as immunotherapy, that are revolutionizing cancer care. As a strong advocate of oncology research, she is always looking for ways to advance the field. One way she does this is by encouraging her patients to participate in clinical trials, which provide access to new and emerging treatments that could prove to be life-saving.

“Cancer research is crucial to moving a deadly disease toward a survivable one,” she says. “Improving access to and enrollment of patients into cancer clinical trials is vital to finding a path to a cure. I was shocked to learn that in the United States less than 5 percent of cancer patients enroll in clinical trials. Clinical trials often provide access to the latest and most promising breakthrough medications that ultimately go on to improve survival from this deadly disease.”

Dr. Cole says one of the reasons that so few patients participate in clinical trials is that they are often conducted in large medical universities, while most cancer patients receive their cancer care close to home in smaller hospital or clinic settings without access to research. However, she’s looking to change that for her patients in Dallas.

“One of the great joys and passions in my career has been building programs to expand access to allow patients to participate in clinical trials in the local clinic facilities where they receive care,” she says. “If you have cancer, you should not be denied access to a potentially life-saving clinical trial just because you live two hours away.”

For patients in Dallas, this is just one of the ways Dr. Cole is working to make her clinic a convenient location for high-quality care while also acting as a partner and advocate for each patient who walks through her door.