Rockin’ Doc

Beneath the sterile white coat of Dr. Michael Cain lies the heart of a hard-core rocker. The seemingly mild-mannered hematologist-oncologist is an avid fan of former Van Halen singer/guitarist Sammy Hagar. Just step into his office to see his wall covered with Hagar memorabilia, including an autographed electric guitar, concert photos and even a photo of Cain with the revered rock star.

Cain grew up in Baton Rouge, graduating summa cum laude in medical technology from LSU. Afterwards, he worked in the microbiology lab for a year as a medical technologist in Lafayette, then two years at Our Lady of the Lake hospital in his hometown. He had planned to go to veterinary school eventually, but decided to study humans instead. “I always liked scientific things,” he explained. “In high school, I enjoyed biology and anatomy classes and found them fascinating.” He attended LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, finishing first in his class. Next, he trekked to Wake Forest University/Bowman-Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. for his internship in internal medicine. His South Louisiana wife, Mary, convinced him to return to their home state where he completed his residency and a three-year fellowship in oncology/hematology at LSU-Shreveport. “I just found taking care of those patients to be extremely rewarding, more than anything else I did in medical school,” he said.

Cain was the first in his family to become a doctor. During his fellowship in Shreveport, he met Dr. Paulette Blanchet, a renowned oncologist who practices in Lafayette. This connection led him to Cajun Country, where Cain has practiced medical oncology and hematology since 1998.

In December 2009, Cain and four other physicians formed The Cancer Center of Acadiana as a joint venture with Lafayette General Medical Center. Currently, the center has six physicians (with another on the way), several infusion and chemotherapy nurses, three nurse practitioners and a physician’s assistant on staff. CCA is equipped to administer chemotherapy infusions, blood transfusions, IV antibiotics and fluids on an out-patient basis. “There was a definite need for something like that in a community this size, where we can bring various resources here under one roof,” he explained. “The physicians, support staff, social workers, dietitians, a patient navigator who can help patients find their way through the maze of oncology treatment and services – are here. We have consolidated our infusion services with all of the support services in our network. In the two years that it’s been here, it continues to grow. We are very happy that we can provide those services for our patients basically in a ‘one-stop shopping’ atmosphere.”

The group is also building a research program, with several protocols currently ongoing. “We are doing these protocols in order to, hopefully, bring new promising treatments to our patients earlier,” Cain said. “That’s something that people have left to go Houston for traditionally. We hope to be able to provide similar services so there won’t be that need. People with cancer face many challenges physically, emotionally and on their families. And, staying closer to home can be a really big thing for them.”

Cain has served as medical director of CCA since its inception. His goal is to continue to grow the services provided at the center. “The goal is to make this an accredited cancer center that can provide state-of-the-art care for all cancer types, and research is a big component in being able to offer more than standard traditional therapies for patients,” he said. “And, the concept of taking care of the whole person, not just treating their disease, but taking care of their physical, dietary and emotional needs when they are battling something like cancer, is just as important.” 

His greatest professional challenge has been having the time and the resources to make sure that patients get the best possible care. “There are so many obstacles to patients monetarily – some people with transportation, others with being able to get adequate nutrition and things like that. It takes more than just medicine; it takes other things to make their treatment successful,” Cain explained.

Outside of work, Cain enjoys spending time with his wife and their four children: Anna, 21; Alex, 15, Ashley Grace, 13 and Katherine, 10. And, of course, he follows the exploits of his true-life guitar hero, Hagar. Prominently displayed on Cain’s office wall is a stunning photo he took of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where Hagar has a home.

The eclectic doc is also a huge fan of the Apollo space missions. He has collected stacks of reports and documents from the shuttle excursions. “If you could have told me there was a track for me to become an astronaut, I’ve would have done that instead of becoming a doctor,” he said with a chuckle.

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