Dr. Marc Anthony Warmuth, MD

Dr. Marc A. Warmuth is board certified in medical oncology and hematology and practices at the St. Augustine Cancer Center.

He has a special interest in the quality of life aspect of cancer care. "In past decades, research involving cancer treatments focused primarily on lengthening survival and sometimes at great cost to the patient in terms of side effects resulting in diminished quality of life. For the past 10 to 15 years, multiple advances have greatly reduced side effects and research now focuses on both survival and quality of life experienced by patients," he says.

Now, Dr. Warmuth says, it is possible to treat cancer while maintaining and often times improving a person’s quality of life. "In the next five to ten years, I hope to see a shift away from our current approach with chemotherapy to one that uses targeted therapies. Traditional chemotherapy destroys cancer cells but also injures healthy cells and therefore creates side effects. Targeted treatments, on the other …hand, directly affect cancer cells by stopping the unique mechanisms they rely on to become malignant, he explains.

He especially enjoys taking care of patients over time and developing relationships with them and their families. "When I meet a patient for the first time, I like to learn about them as a person. Where are they from, what do they do for a living, their hobbies, what family members or other supporters are involved. This helps me formulate an individual treatment plan that accommodates and supports their lifestyle and treatment expectations," he says.

"I am always inspired by those patients who beat the odds through their sheer determination and the enduring support of their family," he says.

Having decided to become a doctor as a young teenager, the Texas native studied medicine at the University of Texas School of Medicine in Houston and completed his internship and residency at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Warmuth recalls announcing to his parents when he was 15 that he wanted to study medicine. "No one in my family had pursued a career in medicine, but I was drawn to the idea of helping people. For my high school service project, I volunteered in the operating room of a local hospital. The experience confirmed my desire to become a physician," he says.

"Through medicine, I could bridge my passion for science with helping others. I dedicated the next several years to achieving that goal. During my training in medical school, I was exposed to the field of hematology and oncology and knew it was the field for me."

At Cancer Specialists of North Florida, Dr. Warmuth feels fortunate to work with a group of dedicated professionals. "Each member of the team keeps up to date on the latest advances and research in oncology. Ideas are shared in a friendly work environment. Our group has the philosophy that every patient should be treated as an individual."

Dr. Warmuth and his wife Ainsley have two sons, Robert and Connor. The self-proclaimed family of pet lovers has two dogs, a cat, and a bird. "When I am not working, I enjoy running, boating, fishing, gardening, photography, and spending time with my family," he says.