"Hold on. I can feel it getting better. Hold on. Be strong. Can you feel it getting better?"

These words of hope and encouragement are found in the chorus of the song "Hold On," written by Greg Lizee, Ph.D., associate professor in MD Anderson's Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology.

In 2002, a close friend of Lizee's was going through a tough time. Lizee wanted to cheer his friend up, so he...