It’s a rare thing when cancer touches a family in a positive way. 

Even rarer, it is virtually unheard of that one family would produce three generations of doctors who devoted their lives to finding ways to beat the dreaded disease.

Yet such is the case in the Moore family of Wichita, where Dennis Sr., Dennis Jr., and son Joe, are the only known oncologists in the U.S. with three generations of service between them. Oncology specialty records kept since the U.S. oncology board was created in 1970 confirm this unique distinction among their colleagues.

The influence of Dennis Sr., who passed away in 2015 at age 79, lives on in his son and grandson. The father-son team carries on his legacy at the Cancer Center of Kansas, where Dennis Sr. worked for much of his career. His memory and bedside manner continue to impact their daily routines.

“Dad was a huge influence,” Dennis Jr. said. “I admired him a lot. I just found what he did extremely interesting. 

“Even as a kid, I would look at his medical books and blood slides and help him out with the leukemia society telethons, where I got to know some of the pediatric patients my age. Professionally, we were around for a lot of the original test trials for certain diseases, and I consulted him whenever there were particularly difficult cases no one else could figure out. Now my son and I talk every day and run cases by one another. That’s been a really fun and gratifying part of being from a family of oncologists.”

For Joe, it was ongoing conversations around the dinner table pertaining to cancer cases between his grandfather, father, and uncle (an infectious disease doctor) that piqued his interest in medicine at an early age. Like his father, he never felt pressured into following the family patriarchs into the medical field. Rather, his decision to pursue a career in oncology was motivated solely by his desire to be of service to those struggling with life-and-death scenarios.

“My parents just wanted us kids to do whatever we wanted,” he said. “Whatever we were interested in, they fully supported us. Of the seven kids, five of us aren’t physicians (his younger brother, Matt, is a gastroenterologist), so there was no pressure to go into medicine.

“As an oncologist, I am able to provide a meaningful difference. Most of our patients are in dire need of help, and being able to help get them through their cancer journey from diagnosis to treatment is really meaningful to me. Seeing that in my dad and grandpa was certainly inspirational for how I want to model being a physician.” 

Having practiced in Wichita for decades, the Moore’s patient lists are oft-times chock full of familiar surnames. It’s a connection Dennis Jr. particularly relishes, one that binds his family’s unbroken length of service to those entrusted to their care.

“It’s always fun to meet the next generation,” he said. “Patients love meeting Joe when he’s covering for me in my absence or seeing a family member of someone I treated in the past. They are always pleased that he’s so knowledgeable and kind.”

Dennis Jr. believes that the family’s shared participation in Boy Scouts of America activities as young men played a significant role in preparing them for their roles as physicians. All four Moore family doctors ascended to the rank of Eagle Scout, a testament to their commitment to completing the task at hand. 

Though the three oncologists shared a mutual commitment to fighting cancer, their individual outlets for dealing with the stressors of the job varied considerably. For Dennis Sr., his chosen retreat was performing on piano. For Dennis Jr., the outdoors, running and learning languages serve to soothe his soul. For Joe, it is golf that offers solace through the ongoing turbulence of dealing with life-or-death decisions at every turn. 

“It’s important to have a wide range of interests to balance out your work life and make you a well-rounded person,” Dennis Jr. said. “Intellectually and emotionally, it’s a difficult job.”

Differing hobbies aside, it was always a shared love of family and the human race that drove their collective commitment to eradicate cancer through treatment and research. 

“It’s a shared interest, a shared passion,” Dennis Jr. said. “Patients can tell whether or not their doctor cares about what they are going through and listens to them. That’s something for sure that my dad, son and I all share.”

Whether that shared family passion for medicine extends to yet another generation through Joe’s children, ages 7 and 3, is anyone’s guess. What is clear is that they can expect their parents to support their dreams, whatever they may be.

“I want my kids to be the best at whatever they want to be,” he said. “If that’s medicine, I’ll fully support it, but whatever else they want to do, I will support them 100 percent.”

As for himself, he can’t imagine having chosen anything but a career in oncology. To him, it is where he belongs, a gift beyond measure passed on through family genes and support.

“Being an oncologist, we have the privilege of seeing patients in their most vulnerable state,” Joe said. “When a patient comes into our office, oftentimes it is the worst day of their life. We’re trying to help them through their difficult situation and hopefully to a good outcome.

“This profession constantly reminds me how fortunate I am, not only to be able to provide care, but also to be healthy and to have the life I have. In oncology, you can’t take any day for granted. Every day is special. That’s the outlook it has given me.”