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Blogs

CU Cancer Center News and Stories

By Author

Noelle Musgrave


Community    Breast Cancer

Why Olivia Munn’s Breast Cancer Reveal Calls For Risk Assessment

Bringing new attention to breast cancer in younger women and the importance of risk assessment, actress Olivia Munn, 43, announced Wednesday that she had been diagnosed with the disease last year. Munn said she has undergone four surgeries in the past 10 months, including a double mastectomy.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 14, 2024
Full Story

Esophageal Cancer    Multidisciplinary Clinic   

Medical Director Named for CU Cancer Center’s Benign Esophageal/Gastric Clinic

The University of Colorado Cancer Center’s new Benign Esophageal and Gastric Multidisciplinary Clinic has its first medical director.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date March 13, 2024
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Patient Care    Colorectal Cancer    Clinical Trials

Local Chef Experiences Significant Tumor Shrinkage with Immunotherapy Clinical Trial

Gabriel Charpentier began experiencing symptoms of stomach discomfort and fatigue at 34. Despite negative tests, he advocated for a colon cancer scan, leading to his diagnosis and participation in an immunotherapy clinical trial. His oncologist, University of Colorado Cancer Center member, Alexis Leal, MD, highlights the importance of clinical trials and the remarkable response Gabriel had to immunotherapy.


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date March 12, 2024
Full Story

Research    lymphoma

CU Cancer Center Members Spotlight New Treatments for Relapsed Lymphomas

A prestigious invitation to chair an educational program session at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in December 2023 offered University of Colorado Cancer Center member Manali Kamdar, MD, an opportunity to update the profession about two increasingly common treatments for relapsed lymphomas.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 11, 2024
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Research   

Cameroon Native Emily Baiyee Toegel, MD, Brings International Perspective to Her Gastrointestinal Cancer Work

A childhood in Cameroon and medical school in Germany helped form the worldly approach to cancer care and research taken by University of Colorado Cancer Center member Emily Baiyee Toegel, MD. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 28, 2024
Full Story

Research    Esophageal Cancer

Endoscopic Surgery Device Wins Anschutz Acceleration Initiative Grant

A project to improve the effectiveness of endoscopic surgery, led by University of Colorado Cancer Center member Steven Edmundowicz, MD, is one of nine research endeavors to be awarded major funding from the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative (AAI).


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 23, 2024
Full Story

Research   

CU Cancer Center Psychologist Tests Bright White Light Therapy as a Remedy for Cancer-Related Fatigue

There are many remedies for cancer-related fatigue — including exercise, massage, and acupuncture — but patients in Colorado have easy access to one of the most effective: natural sunlight.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 21, 2024
Full Story

Research    Head and Neck Cancer    Medical Oncology

CU Cancer Center Leaders Using a Molecule as a Weapon Against Cancer

After eight years of work by a pair of University of Colorado Cancer Center leaders on a new way to attack various cancers, the next stage in their quest to bring their therapy to patients is one of nine research endeavors receiving funding from the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative (AAI).


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 20, 2024
Full Story

Research   

Shared Resources Pilot Grant Opens New Frontiers in 3D Cell and Tissue Printing

University of Colorado Cancer Center leader Daniel LaBarbera, PhD, has received an innovation pilot grant from the cancer center’s Shared Resources program to develop complex 3D tissue and organoid models for high-throughput drug discovery and high-content imaging.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 14, 2024
Full Story

Colorectal Cancer    Ovarian Cancer

HIPEC Procedure Pumps Chemotherapy Into the Abdomen to Kill Cancer Cells

Cancers located in the abdomen — including colorectal cancer, appendix cancer, gastric cancer, and gynecologic cancers such as certain types of ovarian cancer — can be difficult to treat with traditional chemotherapy when the tumors spread beyond the organ in which they originated.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 08, 2024
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Research    Cancer    Clinical Trials

‘We’re All In This Together’: CU Cancer Center Leaders Share Insights With Colorado Legislators

A dozen Colorado state senators and representatives gathered on February 6 for a briefing by leaders of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, who gave the lawmakers an overview of the threat posed by cancer, the center’s successes, and the importance of clinical trials in cancer treatment.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 07, 2024
Full Story

Community    Awareness    Cancer    Stomach Cancer

Toby Keith’s Death Following Stomach Cancer Fight Brings Attention to a Less Common Cancer

Country music star Toby Keith died February 5, 2024 at age 62, according to an announcement on his official website, following his battle with stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer. The following blog post on his cancer was published June 14, 2022, shortly after he publicly disclosed his diagnosis.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 06, 2024
Full Story

Research    Breast Cancer    Clinical Trials   

Clinical Trial Aids Patient With Recurrent Metastatic Breast Cancer

Margaret Taylor thought she had reached the end of her breast cancer journey.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 05, 2024
Full Story

Research    Funding    Awards    Cell and Gene Therapy

Project to Rev Up Cancer-Fighting Cells Wins Anschutz Acceleration Initiative Grant

A project to develop a way to boost the effectiveness of cellular cancer therapies, led by the University of Colorado Cancer Center’s Associate Director of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination, Eduardo Davila, PhD, is one of nine research endeavors by CU School of Medicine faculty members to be awarded major funding from the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 02, 2024
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Cancer    Multidisciplinary Clinic    Medical Oncology

You Just Got a Cancer Diagnosis. Should You Get a Second Opinion?

A cancer diagnosis is a serious matter – which is why a patient who gets one should seriously consider getting a second opinion.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 01, 2024
Full Story

Research    Breast Cancer    Medical Oncology

Tablets Show Promise as an Alternative to Chemotherapy in CU Cancer Center Member’s Breast Cancer Study

The focus of a University of Colorado Cancer Center member’s research career has been a quest for new, better therapies for patients with breast cancer. That quest by Elena Shagisultanova, MD, PhD, has resulted in a clinical trial pointing the way to an oral treatment that’s more tolerable than intensive chemotherapy for patients with a type of metastatic breast cancer that accounts for about 20% of cases among women under age 45.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date January 29, 2024
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Research    Skin Cancer   

CU Cancer Center Member’s Skin Cancer Study Wins Anschutz Acceleration Initiative Grant 

University of Colorado Cancer Center member Maryam Asgari, MD, MPH, is one of nine CU School of Medicine faculty members to be awarded an Anschutz Acceleration Initiative grant. The winning projects, announced in January, were chosen for their promise to deliver life-changing advancements in medicine within the next three to five years. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 26, 2024
Full Story

Community    appendix cancer

Actor’s Death Sheds Light on Appendix Cancer 

The news that actor Adan Canto — known for his roles in "Designated Survivor" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" — died earlier this month at age 42, after a battle with appendix cancer, is raising awareness of the relatively rare disease.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 25, 2024
Full Story

Colorectal Cancer    Cancer    cancer screening

U.S. Expected to Break Annual Record for New Cancer Cases; Colorectal Cancer Risk Looms for Under-50 Americans

The American Cancer Society (ACS) says it expects more than 2 million new U.S. cancer cases this year, the highest one-year total ever, with rising rates for six of the 10 most common cancers. In Colorado, 29,430 new cancers are projected in 2024.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date January 17, 2024
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Research    Community    Pediatric surgery    Cervical Cancer   

CU Doctor Works to Increase HPV Vaccine Uptake to Prevent Cervical Cancer 

A vaccine that prevents all cancer may still be decades away from becoming a reality, but for cervical cancer and several other types of cancer, a vaccine already exists that drastically reduces the risk of getting the disease. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 17, 2024
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Research    Press Releases    Colorectal Cancer

CU Cancer Center Leader Part of Team Overseeing Multimillion Dollar Colorectal Cancer Initiative  

On a mission to put an end to colorectal cancer, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CCA) recently launched Project Cure CRC, an initiative aimed at funding tens of millions of dollars in expedited, novel colorectal cancer research over the next two years. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 12, 2024
Full Story

Research    Pancreatic Cancer

V Foundation Grant Enables Research On Radiation Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment 

University of Colorado Cancer Center member Sana Karam, MD, PhD, has received a translational research grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, co-founded by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano, to study a new therapeutic that may help pancreatic cancer patients overcome resistance to radiation therapy. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 09, 2024
Full Story

Research    Thyroid Cancer

The Role of Fibronectin in BRAF-mutant Thyroid Cancer Treatment 

New research overseen by University of Colorado Cancer Center member Rebecca Schweppe, PhD, could lead to improved treatment for people with thyroid cancer characterized by a mutation in the BRAF gene — a mutation also responsible for some types of melanoma, colorectal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and ovarian cancer.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 08, 2024
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Community   

The Latest News About CAR T-Cell Therapy 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 03, 2024
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Research    Community    Lung Cancer   

How Unusual is ‘Big Bang Theory’ Actress Kate Micucci’s Lung Cancer? 

Actress and musician Kate Micucci, best known for her role as Lucy on CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” recently underwent surgery for lung cancer.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date December 15, 2023
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CU Cancer Center Top Stories of 2023

With more than 125 stories sharing the work of our cancer community, it’s been another remarkable year full of noteworthy research, community projects, and inspiring patient success stories for the University of Colorado Cancer Center. 


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date December 14, 2023
Full Story

Research    Cancer    Clinical Trials   

What to Know About Supportive Care Trials

Not all clinical trials are aimed at finding new cures. There are also supportive care trials, with the goal of improving a patient’s quality of life.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date December 12, 2023
Full Story

Skin Cancer    Melanoma   

Drawing on Data and Imagery in the Fight Against Melanoma

A recent study of a type of immune blood cells associated with resistance to certain treatments for melanoma is one sign of the growing role of data science in solving some of medicine’s most puzzling riddles, says Hatim Sabaawy, MD, PhD, associate director of translational research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date December 11, 2023
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Patient Care    Brain and Spinal Cancer    Oncology    Radiation

Brain Cancer Patient Recruits the CU Cancer Center for the Fight of His Life

Alex Cooper relishes a challenge. Armed with a New Yorker’s moxie, an entrepreneur’s savvy, and an athlete’s determination, he has launched startups, has competed in Ironman triathlons, and offers motivational messages in blogs, videos, and social media posts as the “Iron CEO.”


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date December 04, 2023
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Research    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology

CU Study Finds Advantage in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Even in Resectable Pancreatic Cancer Tumors

Chemotherapy is a useful treatment to try to get systemic control in pancreatic cancer. Currently, however, chemotherapy is mostly administered in patients whose tumors are more difficult to remove surgically because of where they are in the anatomy.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 30, 2023
Full Story

Research   

CU Cancer Center Member Oversees New NCCN Guidelines for Cancer-Related Fatigue 

Yoga, massage, and bright white light therapy are among the effective ways to manage cancer-related fatigue, according to new patient guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 29, 2023
Full Story

Research    Gynecologic Cancer    Magazine    Ovarian Cancer

Innovations in Ovarian Cancer Research

Ovarian cancer is a growing area of research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. A newly formed Ovarian Cancer Innovations Group, envisioned by Saketh Guntupalli, MD, and led by Kian Behbakht, MD, MBA, is taking a multipronged approach to studying the disease.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 27, 2023
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Pancreatic Cancer    Cancer    Surgical Oncology    Whipple procedure

CU Cancer Center Was the Right Destination for a Lifelong Outdoorsman with Pancreatic Cysts

It’s been just over four years since Jim Page entrusted his fate to a University of Colorado Cancer Center surgical oncologist after being diagnosed with precancerous cysts in his pancreas. Four years since he underwent the surgery that he credits with saving his life.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date November 22, 2023
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Research    Ovarian Cancer

CU Cancer Center Researchers Land Major Grant to Investigate Ovarian Cancer Disparities

A pair of University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers have received a major grant to fund the next five years of their long-running research into a genetic risk factor for ovarian cancer that varies greatly across different ethnic communities – research that they hope will lead to better-targeted therapies.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date November 20, 2023
Full Story

Research    Community    Magazine

Part of the Plan

With an eye on outcomes that range from better patient care and improved early detection to equity in research and increased use of new technologies like big data, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently rolled out a National Cancer Plan.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 17, 2023
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Skin Cancer    Dermatology    skin damage

Have Fun in the Snow, But Remember: You’ve Got Skin in the Game

Colorado is a winter playground, whether your passion is skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or just throwing snowballs. But the bright sun that helps make winter sports in the Rockies so delightful also poses a threat to your skin.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date November 16, 2023
Full Story

Lung Cancer    smoking

Your Phone Could Help You Hang Up on Smoking

Can your phone help you quit smoking? That's the goal of a project backed by the University of Colorado Cancer Center.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date November 15, 2023
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Research    Community    Breast Cancer    Magazine

To Trust or Not to Trust Your Breast Cancer Risk Calculation

Why are some women skeptical when given their personalized risk for developing breast cancer? The inquiring mind of Laura Scherer, PhD, wants to know.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 14, 2023
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Awareness    Stomach Cancer

A Quick Guide to Your Questions on Stomach Cancer

This November, Stomach Cancer Awareness Month allows us the opportunity to learn more about gastric oncology and dispel anxieties around the disease. While stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, accounts for a little over 1% of all new cancer cases per year, outcomes can be improved with prevention and earlier detection.


Author Mara Kalinoski | Publish Date November 13, 2023
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Research    Community    Lung Cancer

CU Cancer Center Involved in Effort to Build Research Group of Lung Cancer Survivors

Jamie L. Studts, PhD, co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, is part of a research team that recently received a $250,000 award to build a coalition of lung cancer survivors and caregivers. Studts and colleagues at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and GO2 for Lung Cancer will work with the coalition to develop research priorities focused on improving health outcomes.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 09, 2023
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Patient Care    Breast Cancer

Suzi Brinkman Experienced Breast Cancer Before, During, and After Childbirth

Suzi Brinkman grew up with three older brothers, and her husband is the oldest of three siblings, so it was important to them for their 2-year-old son, Wallace, to have a brother or sister.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 07, 2023
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Lung Cancer    cancer screening    smoking

Millions More with Smoking History are Recommended for Lung-Cancer Screening in New Guidance

The American Cancer Society (ACS) this week called for millions more people who formerly smoked to be screened for lung cancer than it previously recommended. But while a University of Colorado Cancer Center member calls the news “exciting,” she said the overarching challenge is to get more people already eligible to be screened.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date November 03, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Community    Lung Cancer    Clinical Trials

After Lung Cancer Clinical Trial, Betty and Bill Moren Give Back as Patient Advocates for Thoracic Oncology Research Group

A clinical trial for lung cancer at the University of Colorado Cancer Center saved Betty Moren’s life. Now Betty and her husband, Bill, are giving back, sharing their cancer journey and clinical trial experiences as patient advocates at the cancer center’s Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative (TORI), which brings together investigators from multiple departments and centers across the CU Anschutz Medical Campus to advance lung cancer research. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 02, 2023
Full Story

Colorectal Cancer   

What ‘Walking Dead’ Actor Erik Jensen’s Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis Means 

Erik Jensen, the 53-year-old actor who played Steven Edwards in season five of the AMC drama “The Walking Dead,” announced this week that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer that has spread to his liver. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 27, 2023
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Research    COVID-19    Esophageal Cancer   

Exploring the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Barrett’s Esophagus and Esophageal Cancer Screening 

The COVID-19 pandemic had dramatic effects on all types of cancer screenings, from mammograms to colonoscopies. In the early days of the health crisis in spring 2020, screening numbers dropped dramatically as health care providers shifted their attention to caring for the seriously ill and fears of contracting the virus kept the general public away from hospitals, clinics, and other facilities.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 25, 2023
Full Story

Community    Breast Cancer

What Breast Cancer Patients Can Learn From Suzanne Somers’s 23-Year Battle

Actress Suzanne Somers, best known for her iconic role as Chrissy Snow on the 1970s and ’80s sitcom “Three’s Company,” died October 15 after a 23-year struggle with breast cancer. Somers was 76.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 18, 2023
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Research    Pediatric Cancer

Addressing Early Death in Childhood Cancer 

Despite a significant number of advances in treatment for childhood cancers over the past few decades, around 7.5% of all children with cancer still die within one month of their diagnosis. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 16, 2023
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Research    DNA    Awards

Karolin Luger, PhD, Honored By World Laureates Association

University of Colorado Cancer Center member Karolin Luger, PhD, a distinguished professor of biochemistry at CU Boulder, has been awarded the 2023 World Laureates Association (WLA) Prize in Life Science or Medicine.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 13, 2023
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Research    Breast Cancer    Clinical Trials

Why Are Clinical Trials So Important in Breast Cancer Treatment? 

Clinical trials are a vital part of the development of treatment in all cancers, including breast cancer, where clinical trials over the years have resulted in new drugs that prolong life and prevent cancer from spreading. Clinical trials are studies of new medications or treatments in humans before they are approved for widespread use.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 10, 2023
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Research    Philanthropy    Breast Cancer    Magazine    Surgical Oncology

Breast Cancer Experience Leads to Donation for Lymph Node Research

At age 47, Wendy Johnson finally started jumping horses. 

Though she had long been interested in the activity — watching her daughters take part in it on the competition field and at the family’s home in Conifer, Colorado — the thought of actually being the one on the back of the graceful beast, guiding it through midair and over a series of obstacles, had always scared her.  

A struggle with breast cancer, however, changed her perspective completely.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 05, 2023
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Patient Care    Prostate Cancer    Clinical Trials    Urology

Nanoknife Procedure Preserved Prostate Cancer Patient’s Quality of Life 

James Bird gets emotional talking about it. How he qualified for a clinical trial that, in his view, preserved his manhood after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late 2022. 

 “The day I went in to see if I qualified, there were 10 other guys out there in the lobby who didn’t get into the trial,” he says. “I felt so sorry for them. One of the technicians who was involved with the trial told me he was getting calls from all over, from guys begging to get in. That’s how important this is.”


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 29, 2023
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Research    Head and Neck Cancer

New Study Aims to Better Treat Head and Neck Cancer in Dogs and Humans

A study is underway at Flint Animal Cancer Center in Fort Collins that has implications for human head and neck cancer. Funded by an administrative supplement for the Dog Oncology Grant Supplement (DOGS) Program issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) from the University of Colorado Cancer Center Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE), researchers speculate this study’s findings may improve outcomes for dogs and humans.  


Author Carie Behounek | Publish Date September 28, 2023
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Research    Sarcoma

Research Underscores the Complexity of Sarcoma Biology 

Building upon her previous research on the role of transcription factor SIX1 in sarcoma progression, Heide Ford, PhD, associate director of basic research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, recently published a paper, in collaboration with CU Cancer Center members Paul Jedlicka, MD, and Jim Costello, PhD, in the journal Nature Communications showing that SIX1 plays a very different role in Ewing sarcoma than it does in other sarcomas — the general term for a broad group of cancers that can form in various locations in the body, including the bones and the soft tissue that connects, supports, and surrounds other body structures. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 26, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Leukemia   

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Climber Tristan Chen Treated for Leukemia at CU Cancer Center

When your life is about being outdoors — about making your way up and around complex rock formations, looking for that flow you get into as every foothold and ledge reveals itself — the last place you want to be is stuck in a hospital bed, enduring the side effects of chemotherapy.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 22, 2023
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Patient Care    Magazine    Ovarian Cancer

CU Cancer Center Care Team Provides a Foundation for Healing for BRCA1-positive Patient

Amy Bibbey has two distinct lives. There’s the life she led before ovarian cancer, and there’s everything after diagnosis.


Author Carie Behounek | Publish Date September 21, 2023
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Patient Care    Thyroid Cancer

Neck Dissection Surgery at the CU Cancer Center Helped Ensure that TV Newsman Danny New Remains Cancer-Free 

“I got lucky that I suck at golf. I threw my back out playing a sport that people usually enjoy in khakis.” 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 17, 2023
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Research    Blood Cancer

CU Cancer Center Members Spotlight the Latest Leukemia Treatments 

Illustrating the University of Colorado Cancer Center’s research strength in the area of blood cancers, the American Cancer Society Journal recently asked CU Cancer Center members Andrew Kent, PhD, and Dan Pollyea, MD, MS, to give readers an update on the latest advances in leukemia treatment.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 11, 2023
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Skin Cancer    Dermatology

What to Know About Merkel Cell Carcinoma, Jimmy Buffett’s Rare Skin Cancer

After battling skin cancer for four years before his death, "Margaritaville" singer Jimmy Buffett died on September 1, 2023, at age 76, from Merkel cell carcinoma, according to his website.


Author Jessica Cordova | Publish Date September 07, 2023
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Community    Pediatrics

Helping Children and Their Families Cope With a Cancer Diagnosis

The fear, anger, and anxiety that come with a cancer diagnosis are only magnified in children, who—along with their family members—often need help working through the emotions that surround cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 01, 2023
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Research    Education    Community    Blood Cancer

Elijah Johnson Came to the CU Cancer Center to Research the Mutation That Makes Him More Likely to Develop Cancer 

Growing up in Windsor, Colorado, Elijah Johnson thought he would grow up to be a professional musician. He never considered a career as a biomedical researcher. But that all changed when his mother was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic mutation that increases the risk of cancer.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 30, 2023
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Research    Community

Surprising Finding in Cannabis Research: The Drug Improves Cognition in Cancer Patients 

Can using over-the-counter cannabis products help cancer patients cope with issues like pain, anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression? 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 21, 2023
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Press Releases    Equity Diversity and Inclusion    Leadership

CU Cancer Center Expands DEIA Efforts With Hire of Associate Director and Deputy Associate Director 

The University of Colorado Cancer Center is doubling down on its diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) efforts in 2023, adding an associate director and deputy associate director of DEIA to its leadership team. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 17, 2023
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Community    Esophageal Cancer

CU Cancer Center Member Opens Clinic for Benign Esophageal and Gastric Conditions 

University of Colorado Cancer Center member Sachin Wani, MD, inaugural director of the Katy O. and Paul M. Rady Esophageal and Gastric Center of Excellence, is behind a new clinic for people with benign, complex conditions of the foregut, including complicated reflux cases, refractory esophageal strictures, and motility disorders such as achalasia and gastroparesis. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 10, 2023
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Research    Data analysis

NCI National Cancer Plan: Maximize Data Utility 

At the University of Colorado Cancer Center’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), cancer center members are creating an interactive data platform to give researchers information on Colorado’s demographics, cancer burden, risk factors and health behaviors, environmental factors, and access to care across the cancer continuum.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 04, 2023
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Pancreatic Cancer

University of Colorado Leads Work to Standardize Global Guidelines for Cystic Tumor of the Pancreas 

University of Colorado Cancer Center member Marco Del Chiaro, MD, PhD, division chief of surgical oncology, is coordinating a new effort to standardize global diagnosis and treatment efforts for cystic tumor of the pancreas. More frequent than solid lesions, cystic tumors are usually detected incidentally and are often asymptomatic.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 03, 2023
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Community    Lung Cancer

CU Cancer Center Offers Free Radon Testing Kits to the Colorado Community          

The statistics about radon exposure and lung cancer in Colorado are sobering: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the state, and radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after tobacco smoke. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 01, 2023
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Research    Ovarian Cancer    Multiple Myeloma

Guidelines for Preventing Blood Clots in People With Cancer 

Many of the side effects of cancer treatment are well-known, including nausea, fatigue, and weight loss. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 28, 2023
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Research    Melanoma    Immunotherapy   

R01 Grant Will Help Find a Way to Overcome Resistance to Immunotherapy in Melanoma  

Melanoma cells can hide, but they can’t run from Eduardo Davila, PhD, associate director of cancer research training and education coordination at the University of Colorado Cancer Center


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 26, 2023
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Research    Lung Cancer   

Studying the Role of Sox9 in Lung Cancer

New research led by Sharon R. Pine, PhD, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center’s Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative, may help doctors understand why some lung cancer patients don’t respond to immunotherapy.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 24, 2023
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Research    Community    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

NCI National Cancer Plan: Optimize the Workforce 

Whether they are focused on middle school and high school students, college undergraduates, or current medical students, pipeline programs at the University of Colorado Cancer Center are designed to expose students of all ages and backgrounds to the world of cancer science and research, with a special focus on giving students from underrepresented backgrounds the opportunity to see themselves working in the field.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 21, 2023
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Patient Care    Lung Cancer

New Treatment Paradigm Helps Lung Cancer Patient Thrive at CU Cancer Center 

There’s no such thing as perfect timing when it comes to lung cancer, but Kathy Ballard got pretty close. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 20, 2023
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Research    Press Releases

The Largest Study of Its Kind Shows a Need for Improvement in Esophageal Cancer Screenings

A new study published in Gastroenterologyaims to improve the effectiveness of screening and surveillance practices for early cancer detection in Barrett’s esophagus (BE).


Author Julia Milzer | Publish Date July 20, 2023
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Research    Leadership

Diana Cittelly, PhD, Named Co-leader of Tumor Host Interactions Program 

Diana Cittelly, PhD, a longtime University of Colorado Cancer Center member and a researcher on cancer that spreads to the brain, has taken on a new role at the CU Cancer Center. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 18, 2023
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Community    Clinical Trials

NCI National Cancer Plan: Deliver Optimal Care 

When Nathan Hammond traveled to Colorado from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to consult with University of Colorado Cancer Center specialists about his newly diagnosed esophageal cancer, his first stop was the esophageal and gastric cancer multidisciplinary clinic, where patients are seen by doctors from multiple specialties — including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, dietitians, and genetic counselors — all at the same time.   


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 14, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Brain and Spinal Cancer

Wheels of Justice Team Commemorates Brain Cancer Patient Trevor Kling 

Look at the racing jersey created in his memory, and you’ll see images of everything Trevor Kling loved. Bright colors. Baseball. Pineapple. Bowling. Sports cars. Board games. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 10, 2023
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Research    Press Releases    Cancer   

Research Offers Insight into Improving Efficacy of PD-L1 Immunotherapy for Cancer Patients

A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institutebrings researchers and oncologists one step closer to better understanding the complexities of PD-1 inhibitors, a common type of immunotherapy, and their intracellular signaling on cancer behavior.


Author Julia Milzer | Publish Date July 06, 2023
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Colorectal Cancer    Multidisciplinary Clinic    Clinical   

Expanding the Umbrella of Care

In the earliest days of specialized cancer care, two things often happened: either individual oncologists were burdened with the expectation to know everything, or patients were sent on treatment journeys that could involve multiple visits with multiple clinicians in multiple locations.

As the field of cancer care has grown and evolved, buoyed by tremendous strides in research and therapeutics, patients could increasingly and reasonably hope to live many years, rather than many weeks or months, after a diagnosis. A significant contributor to this hope has been the move toward multidisciplinary care.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date July 05, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Pancreatic Cancer    Multidisciplinary Clinic   

Individualized Care Provides Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patient with Stage 4 Diagnosis

Barb Spanjer lay on the floor of her office. She had never been so tired. Her stomach and left side ached, and the pain under her left shoulder blade was relentless. She had seen her doctor a couple of times that autumn of 2017, but the medicine for the ulcer he suspected she had wasn’t working. She had been too tired and too busy running the construction company she and her husband, Steve, owned to follow up with the doctor. But it was getting harder to ignore the symptoms. Something just wasn’t right.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 26, 2023
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Research    Community    Clinical Trials

NCI National Cancer Plan: Engage Every Person  

Clinical trials are an important part of cancer care, giving people with cancer potentially life-saving early access to new medications and treatments and making sure those medications and treatments are safe and efficacious before approving them for widespread use.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 23, 2023
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Patient Care    Colorectal Cancer   

Colorectal Cancer Patient Doug Scanlon Grateful for Cutting-Edge Care at CU Cancer Center 

For Doug Scanlon, last year’s Walk to End Colon Cancer was a victory lap. This year, it’s more like a homecoming. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 22, 2023
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Research    Lung Cancer   

CU Cancer Center Researcher Receives Gilead Grant to Study Persister Cells in Lung Cancer 

Cancer researchers have long been interested in the resistance that lung cancer patients develop to targeted therapies aimed at specific mutations. Though the therapies provide significant remission at first, the cancer eventually finds a way to return. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 19, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Immunotherapy    lymphoma    ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz   

CU Cancer Center Member Gains Unique Perspective as Cancer Patient

For a significant portion of his career, Arnold Levinson, PhD, MJ, has done work related to cancer.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 16, 2023
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Research    Breast Cancer    Awards

Clinician Scientist Development Grant From the American Cancer Society Will Help Sarah Tevis, MD, Advance Her Research on Breast Cancer Outcomes 

For the past four years, University of Colorado Cancer Center member Sarah Tevis, MD, has focused her research on the psychosocial outcomes of breast surgery for women with breast cancer — specifically comparing patient-reported outcomes three and six months after receiving a lumpectomy (surgery in which just the tumor and some of the surrounding cells are removed) and a mastectomy (surgery to remove the entire breast). 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 14, 2023
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Research    Blood Cancer    Awards

Overcoming Drug Resistance in Multiple Myeloma 

The good news for people with multiple myeloma is that treatments exist that almost always put the cancer into deep remission soon after it’s diagnosed. The bad news for people with the blood cancer, though, is that even though that remission can last several years, almost all patients eventually relapse — and the disease that returns becomes increasingly difficult to treat. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 12, 2023
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Research    Community

NCI National Cancer Plan: Developing Effective Treatments   

Hatim Sabaawy, MD, PhD, MS, associate director of translational research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, is excited about the future of treatment for pancreatic cancer. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 09, 2023
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Community    Prostate Cancer    Bladder Cancer    Kidney Cancer    Testicular cancer

CU Cancer Center Member Helps Develop Genitourinary Cancer Guidelines in Sub-Saharan Africa 

It’s one thing to develop cancer treatment guidelines in the U.S., where even the smallest health centers have access to the same basic technology for treatment and testing. But what about creating guidelines for oncologists in Sub-Saharan Africa, where access to medical resources can be limited and the disease can present differently?  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 07, 2023
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Research    Community    Cancer    Magazine    Mental Health   

Understanding Cancer in the Mind and the Heart

Cancer, the author Susan Sontag wrote, is “the disease that doesn’t knock before it enters.”

It’s the scary C-word that a large and continually growing body of research demonstrates has effects far beyond its physical symptoms. A cancer diagnosis, especially one made in the later stages of the disease, often impacts a person’s mental and emotional health in ways that can be unexpected and broad-reaching.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 05, 2023
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Breast Cancer    Colorectal Cancer    cancer screening

NCI National Cancer Plan: Detect Cancers Early

Early detection of cancer plays a vital role in improving cancer survival rates. Detecting cancer early allows for timely intervention, stopping the cancer before it metastasizes, and increasing the effectiveness of treatment options.

At the University of Colorado Cancer Center, many members are focused on detecting cancer early by providing greater access to screening and educating the community on options.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 02, 2023
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Research    Community    Philanthropy    Magazine   

Endowed Chairs Fund Vital Research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center 

Philanthropy is critical to the mission of the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Donors who are able to make gifts of any amount help CU Cancer Center members contribute to breakthrough research and improved patient outcomes. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 31, 2023
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Community

NCI National Cancer Plan: Preventing Cancer 

Over the past several decades, doctors and researchers have gotten much better at detecting and treating cancer. A cancer diagnosis, however, is still often costly to treat, not to mention the physical and emotional toll that treatment can take. 

The best way to avoid a diagnosis altogether? Stop cancer before it starts.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 26, 2023
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Patient Care    Colorectal Cancer    GITES

Outpatient Colectomy? It’s Possible at the CU Cancer Center

Sean Ryan did everything right. 

Ryan’s father died of colorectal cancer when he was just 45, so Ryan knew he was at high risk for the disease. When he turned 50, he made plans to get a screening colonoscopy. (In 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended screening age for colorectal cancer from 50 to 45 for men and women at average risk for colorectal cancer.) 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 24, 2023
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Research    Pediatric Cancer    Brain and Spinal Cancer

Finding New Ways to Treat Diffuse Midline Gliomas 

Cancer is a sneaky disease. Find one method of treating it successfully, and it finds another way to survive. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 22, 2023
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Breast Cancer    Public Health    cancer screening

Why Does the United States Preventive Services Task Force Want to Lower the Recommended Age for Mammograms? 

Driven in part by an increase in breast cancer diagnoses in younger women — particularly in Black women — the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) — has proposed lowering the recommended age for beginning regular mammograms from 50 to 40. The USPSTF recommends that women at average risk for breast cancer get screening mammograms every other year. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 18, 2023
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Community    Public Health

CU Cancer Center Leader Appointed to Third Term on Colorado’s Board of Health 

Evelinn Borrayo, PhD, has made it her mission to eliminate cancer disparities in Colorado.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 17, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Kidney Cancer    Urology

Kidney Cancer Journey Emphasizes Importance of Asking a Doctor when Things Don’t Feel Right

 

To start with, there was his usual schedule of national travel for his job as a Wall Street journeyman – he was always flying somewhere. Add to that moving to Castle Rock from San Francisco, plus a love for concerts and baseball games and whatever else life offers, and it’s no wonder that Lincoln Yersin was feeling run down.

But this run down? This exhausted? He went to see his primary care provider in San Francisco a few times, had a few tests, and the diagnosis was stress.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 16, 2023
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Research    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology    Transplant Surgery

Data Analysis Offers Promising News for Transplant Patients with Previous Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms Diagnosis

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are cystic lesions that can form by the ducts of the pancreas. They generally are asymptomatic and discovered in the course of testing for other conditions.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 10, 2023
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Awareness    Bladder Cancer    Urology

Awareness and Early Detection Key to Good Bladder Cancer Outcomes

In its early stages, bladder cancer can be easy to ignore or write off as something it isn’t – a UTI, a bladder infection, or other conditions that are commonly treated with an antibiotic.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 09, 2023
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Pediatric Cancer    Brain and Spinal Cancer    Pediatrics

What to Know About Pediatric Brain Cancer 

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month, which makes it a perfect time to turn the spotlight on pediatric brain cancer. Brain cancer is the second most common cancer in children, after leukemia, and brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children and adolescents, with more than 4,000 new diagnoses each year, according to the American Cancer Society. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 08, 2023
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Community    Lung Cancer    Hope

Lung Cancer Survivorship Celebration Emphasizes Living with Hope and Optimism

Paul Herzegh’s lung cancer story began six years ago on a beautiful April morning, roadtripping back home to Boulder from visiting friends in Virginia. He was 68, in otherwise good health, and felt some small kinks in his chest.

Hardly any time later, he had a diagnosis: stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that originated in the cells lining the outside of his lungs. At that point, he didn’t know much beyond “the conventional wisdom that 'lung cancer is a killer,’” he explained Saturday evening, emphasizing the air quotes because, well, the conventional wisdom was wrong.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 05, 2023
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Research    Community    Colorectal Cancer

NCI National Cancer Plan: Eliminating Inequities  

Thanks to the Colorado Cancer Screening Program at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, more than 4,000 people from medically underserved populations received colorectal cancer screening over the past two years — individuals who likely would not have sought the screening out on their own.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 28, 2023
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Research    Community    Health equity

Lower-Income, Working Cancer Caregivers Experience Harder Financial Impacts

Cancer is a disease of ripples – from symptoms that precede a diagnosis to treatment, side effects, and goals for long-term survival. It can impact every facet of life, for the person who receives the diagnosis as well as the person who is their caregiver.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 27, 2023
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Research    Press Releases    Pancreatic Cancer    Clinical Trials

New Pancreatic Cancer Research Could Boost Survival Rates

A unique treatment combining radiation and immunotherapy can eradicate pancreatic tumors while stopping the cancer from spreading, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.


Author Julia Milzer | Publish Date April 27, 2023
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Research    Pediatric Cancer    Kidney Cancer    Urology

Research Shows that Lymph Node Sampling During Kidney Tumor Surgery Is Safe

A longstanding approach to surgeries for children with kidney tumors has been an abundance of caution.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 26, 2023
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Research    Blood Cancer    Immunotherapy    lymphoma

What is the Best Lymphoma Treatment After CAR T Therapy Fails? 

For 30% to 40% of lymphoma patients who receive CAR T therapy, the treatment is a godsend. Typically given to lymphoma patients for whom other treatments have proven ineffective, CAR T therapy involves removing immune cells from the body via a blood draw, reengineering them to become better cancer fighters, then reintroducing them to the bloodstream, where they seek out and destroy cancer cells. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 25, 2023
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Community    Head and Neck Cancer    Veteran and Military Health

PACT Act Allows Military Veterans to Access Benefits for Expanded List of Conditions Related to Exposures

When the PACT Act went into effect January 1, after being signed into law in August, many U.S. veterans were able to access benefits for an expanded list of health conditions presumed to be caused by exposure to toxic substances.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 14, 2023
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Research    Community    Cancer   

Where Advanced Cancer Patients Are Discharged After Hospitalization Affects Outcomes

Cancer patients younger than 65 who are discharged to a skilled nursing facility following hospitalization are less likely to receive cancer treatment and hospice care before death, new University of Colorado Cancer Center research shows.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 12, 2023
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Community   

What to Know About Traveling to the CU Cancer Center

Whether they are coming from across the state, across the region, or across the country, more than 1,000 people each year arrive at the University of Colorado Cancer Center for treatment, surgery, or a second opinion on their cancer diagnosis.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 10, 2023
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Research    Pediatric Cancer    Sarcoma    Radiation

Study Shows that Equivocal Scan Results Don’t Predict Higher Risk of Pediatric Cancer Relapse

For many pediatric cancer patients and their families, “scanxiety” is a very real and very scary feeling – the worry that can precede scans before treatment, and the uncertainty stemming from scans after treatment is completed.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 05, 2023
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Community    Awareness    Urology    Testicular cancer

Early Detection an Important Factor in Highly Treatable Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is a highly treatable cancer that isn’t always easy to talk about.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 04, 2023
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Patient Care    Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal Cancer Patient Traveled From Indiana to Colorado to Receive Care at CU Cancer Center 

Nathan Hammond knew things were getting bad when his doctors had to put the feeding tube in. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 03, 2023
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Research    Lung Cancer    Radiation   

Research Shows Targeted Therapy Allows Certain Lung Cancer Patients to Avoid Whole-Brain Radiation

Whole-brain radiation therapy used to treat brain metastases is a significant cancer treatment that, while generally well-tolerated, can have serious long-term side effects, including dementia. Neither clinicians nor patients undertake it lightly.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 29, 2023
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Research    Community    Cancer    ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz   

Growing Health and Wellness in the Community Garden

There’s a growing body of research supporting the satisfactions of gardening, from its positive impact as a mental health intervention to its association with improvement in cognitive function and reduction in stress, anger, and fatigue.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 28, 2023
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Research    Surgical Oncology    Awards

CU Cancer Center Member Named to National Cancer Institute Early-Stage Surgeon Scientist Program 

For her innovative research on how cannabinoids affect the tumor immune microenvironment in melanomaUniversity of Colorado Cancer Center member Camille Stewart, MD, has been named to the 2023 cohort of the National Cancer Institute’s Early-Stage Surgeon Scientist Program (ESSP). The National Cancer Institute coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 24, 2023
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Patient Care    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology    Multidisciplinary Clinic   

Enjoying the Gift of Time After a Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis

Before receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis eight years ago – a diagnosis that resulted from persistent self-advocacy – Carolyn Degrafinried spent one awful weekend wondering if she was losing her mind.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 23, 2023
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Research    Head and Neck Cancer

Studying the Oral Cancer Immune Landscape in Dogs 

Squamous cell head and neck cancers — cancers that develop in the outer layers of tissue in the oral cavity, throat, larynx, and sinonasal cavity — are the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide. The five-year survival rate for this type of cancer is 40% to 50%, with a worse prognosis for patients with advanced disease. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 21, 2023
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Research    Pediatric Cancer    Bone Cancer    Data analysis

Socioeconomic Status and Ethnicity Shown to Impact Pediatric Bone Cancer Outcomes

Pediatric osteosarcoma patients who are Hispanic or live in areas of high language isolation are more likely to have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, recently publish research shows.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 17, 2023
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Community    Colorectal Cancer    ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz   

Two CU Cancer Center Members Attend Biden’s Moonshot Event on Colorectal Cancer 

Earlier this month, medical professionals, patient advocates, industry innovators, federal policymakers, and public health officials, including two members of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, gathered at the White House for the Cancer Moonshot Colorectal Cancer Forum.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 16, 2023
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Community    Breast Cancer    Surgical Oncology

FDA Issues New Mammography Guidelines for Women With Dense Breasts 

For women with dense breasts, getting a mammogram to screen for breast cancer can be something of a double whammy. Not only is cancer more difficult to detect in dense breasts, but dense breasts also are a risk factor for developing breast cancer in the first place. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 15, 2023
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Education    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology

Dutch Surgeons Visit University of Colorado to Learn Pancreatic Cancer Procedure

When surgeons from the Netherlands needed help establishing a national program for patients with hard-to-treat pancreatic cancer, they knew just whom to turn to: Marco Del Chiaro, MD, PhD, professor and division chief of surgical oncology in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 09, 2023
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Community    Colorectal Cancer

Colonoscopy vs. Stool-Based Tests: What is the Best Way to Detect Colorectal Cancer? 

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and with the recent news that the disease is on the rise among people under 55, it’s more important than ever for people to understand the screening options for colorectal cancer.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 08, 2023
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Research    Awards

Sojourns Scholar Award Will Support Hospice Research in Communities of Color

Channing E. Tate, PhD, MPH, University of Colorado Cancer Center Rising Star, has seen through her personal and professional experiences how aging populations and communities of color often fall through the cracks of health care, especially at the end of life.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 07, 2023
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Research    Philanthropy    Esophageal Cancer

Gift From Patient’s Family Funds Exploration of New Treatment for Esophageal Cancer 

Funding from the Paul R. O’Hara Seed Grant Fund at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus will allow CU Cancer Center member Akshay Chauhan, MD, to explore new methods of detecting and treating esophageal cancer


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 06, 2023
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Research    Head and Neck Cancer    Clinical Trials

Innovative Technology Shows Great Promise Against Certain Head and Neck Cancers

Over the past decade, human papillomavirus (HPV) has increasingly been identified as a significant cause of certain head and neck cancers – for example, evidence suggests it causes 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 03, 2023
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Research    Blood Cancer   

Eric Kohler, MD, PhD, Receives Award to Improve CAR T-Cell Therapy 

Already regarded as one of the country’s leaders in CAR T-cell therapy, University of Colorado Cancer Center member M. Eric Kohler, MD, PhD, has received a $150,000 Scholar Award from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to investigate a method to make CAR T cells function even better. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 24, 2023
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Research    Bone Cancer

V Foundation Funds CU Cancer Center Research on Pediatric Osteosarcoma That Spreads to the Lungs 

University of Colorado Cancer Center members Michael Leibowitz, MD, PhD, and Dan Regan, DVM, PhD, have received an $800,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, co-founded by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano, to study a new potential treatment for pediatric osteosarcoma that spreads to the lungs. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 23, 2023
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Research   

Junior Faculty at CU Cancer Center Selected for 2023 American Cancer Society Grants 

Four early career researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have received Institutional Research Grants (IRGs) from the American Cancer Society (ACS) for 2023 through the parent grant awarded to the CU Cancer Center. IRGs are intended to support junior faculty members to obtain preliminary results that will enable them to compete successfully for federal research grants.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 17, 2023
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Research    Cancer    Surgical Oncology

Most People Diagnosed with Cancer Seek Information Even Before Their Appointments

For many people who receive a cancer diagnosis, one of the first things they want is information – about the cancer itself, about treatment options, about side effects they may experience, about what it all means.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 13, 2023
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Research    Cancer    Genetics

Research Illuminates a Therapeutic Strategy to Induce Cancer Cell Death

Cancer is a disease driven by gene mutations. These mutated genes in cancer fall into two major categories: tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Mutations in tumor suppressor genes can allow tumors to grow unchecked – a case of no brakes – while mutations in oncogenes can activate cell proliferation, pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 10, 2023
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CU Cancer Center In the News

EurekAlert

Sensory Nerves Appear to Drive Head and Neck Cancer Growth

news outletEurekAlert
Publish DateMarch 06, 2024

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found that drugs like botox may slow head and neck cancer progression by targeting nerve interactions in tumor environments, impacting immune responses. This study could lead to new treatments for patients intolerant to traditional therapies.

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Mile High Magazine

Mile High Magazine - March is Colorectal Awareness Month

news outletMile High Magazine
Publish DateFebruary 25, 2024

Christopher Lieu, MD speaks on March being Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and the importance of screening.

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National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH research network to evaluate emerging cancer screening technologies

news outletNational Institutes of Health (NIH)
Publish DateFebruary 21, 2024

In 2024, the network will launch a pilot study, known as the Vanguard Study on Multi-Cancer Detection, to address the feasibility of using multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests in future randomized controlled trials.

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MHealthIntelligence

Leveraging RPM to Enable At-Home Care for High-Risk Cancer Patients

news outletMHealthIntelligence
Publish DateFebruary 05, 2024

Glen Peterson, DNP, ACNP, RN, from CU Cancer Center, discusses RPM & telehealth benefits for cancer patients on Healthcare Strategies podcast.

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