13 things to know about chemotherapy
Starting chemotherapy for the first time? If you are new to this common cancer treatment, you're probably wondering how chemotherapy...
How does targeted therapy treat cancer?
Each cancer patient is unique. So, when developing a cancer treatment plan, our doctors consider all the things that make them that...
Inflammatory breast cancer: 14 things to know
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare subtype of breast cancer whose symptoms typically first appear as breast skin changes. It...
Sentinel lymph node biopsy: What cancer patients should know
We often hear about lymph nodes when we talk about how cancer spreads. That’s because when cancer starts to spread, it often goes to...
7 pain management options for cancer patients you might not...
When it comes to treating cancer pain, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Patient preference, allergies and potential drug...
9 things to know about breast biopsies
Getting a breast biopsy? You might be wondering what it is and how it works.
A breast biopsy is a diagnostic procedure in which a...
12 chemotherapy tips from cancer patients who’ve been there
If you're about to have chemotherapy for the first time, you might be wondering what to expect from this type of cancer treatment.
How volunteers brighten Christmas Day for our hospitalized...
Fran Epstein arrives before sunrise to organize gifts and review the inpatient hospital floors to visit. Soon after, others join her...
Best of MD Anderson 2019: Words of wisdom from our cancer...
Cancer patients find hope in different ways. Some do it by reminding themselves that nothing lasts forever, and that this, too, shall...
Best of MD Anderson 2019: What drives our doctors and...
Ever wonder what drives our doctors and researchers to end cancer? What compels them to work in medicine or even get out of bed in the...
Best of MD Anderson 2019: Cancer survivors’ and caregivers’...
During the past year, dozens of our patients and caregivers have shared their stories with us. Some dealt with proving a terminal...
Best of MD Anderson 2019: Top cancer insights from our...
Whether you’re facing a cancer diagnosis, want to better understand your risk or celebrating life after cancer, you likely have...
Best of MD Anderson 2019: Why patients came here for...
Cancer patients come to MD Anderson for many reasons. Some want the expertise of the nation’s top hospital for cancer care for cancer...
Melanoma survivor: An immunotherapy clinical trial was my...
I was diagnosed with stage IV acral lentiginous melanoma in August 2014. The year before, I had bumped my thumb against the side of a...
DCIS breast cancer survivor sees hope all around her
Before starting breast cancer treatment near her home in Dallas, Brenda Scherer decided to get a second opinion at MD...
6 advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment
Breast cancer remains one of the two most-common types of cancer in the world, according to the World Health Organization. It’s the...
Uveal melanoma survivor: Specialized treatment saved both...
When my prescription reading glasses snapped in two without warning in November 2016, I had no idea how much my life was about to...
How I’ve lived with uterine cancer for seven years
I've always had to fight for my health. I had my left leg amputated at age 1 due to a birth defect, and I was born with the sickle...
16-year survivor: A breast cancer diagnosis helped me find...
I’ve been helping people get around at MD Anderson since 2002. First, I drove the ground shuttles that travel between our buildings at...
Caregiver: Skull base tumor expertise saved my husband’s...
I’ve been an educator for 16 years and a high school librarian for eight. I teach kids how to do research, so I know how to find stuff...
Nobel Prize-winning researcher: The future of immunotherapy...
For a long time, immunotherapy was considered nonsense by many people in mainstream cancer medicine. It had been tried for years,...
How I laughed in the face of cancer
When I was 16 and undergoing treatment for a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma, one of the best pieces of advice I got was...
Why I chose MD Anderson for my uterine cancer treatment
My whole career in financial services has been about creating positive experiences for other people. But I never knew how different...
Mucosal melanoma survivor: After trying immunotherapy, I...
When I was diagnosed with stage IV mucosal melanoma of the nasal cavity in October 2017, I got to MD Anderson as quickly as I could....
10-year survivor: My triple-negative breast cancer care led...
I wasn’t working at MD Anderson yet when I learned that I had triple-negative breast cancer in July 2009. But after hearing about two...
How to talk to your kids about cancer
Cancer can be scary, so some parents may avoid sharing their diagnosis with their kids to protect them. But research shows higher...
5 tips for thriving after an unexpected medical retirement
Some people work all of their adult lives anticipating the joys of retirement. Planned retirement can be very exciting.
But...
Medulloblastoma survivor: Why I continue to share my brain...
I’m only 22, but I’ve already lived in so many places. Originally, I’m from El Paso, but I go to school now in College Station, which...
Ringing the bell marks a milestone in cancer treatment
For Bridget Reeves, ringing the bell after completing six months of chemotherapy for breast cancer was “a big deal.”
Soldiering...
Coping with cancer: Where spirituality comes in
Spirituality can mean different things to different people. Prayer to a higher power, connecting with nature or creating a work of art...
Getting to know chief operating officer Rosanna Morris
This past April, Rosanna Morris joined MD Anderson as chief operating officer (COO). In this role, she oversees our inpatient and...
What does a patient escort do?
Navigating one of the largest cancer centers in the world can be daunting, especially if you’ve just had a medical procedure or...
Stage IV nasopharyngeal cancer survivor: I’m almost...
Looking at me now, people would never suspect I’d ever had anything serious wrong with me. I walk five miles every day and take the...
Ovarian cancer survivor: 4 lessons I learned from treatment
One of the best pieces of advice I got before starting chemotherapy to treat stage III ovarian cancer was from my oncologist, Dr....
Conjunctival melanoma survivor: MD Anderson saved my eye...
I’ve always been a bit of an extremist. So, when I learned that skin cancer runs in my mom’s family, I started seeing a dermatologist...
7 things to know about menopause and breast cancer
Most women naturally go into menopause when they’re in their 40s or 50s. That’s because as a woman ages, she has fewer reproductive...
Young adult thyroid cancer patient grateful for...
After I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis at age 15, I began having my thyroid monitored regularly. In 2012, during a checkup...
Osteosarcoma survivor: Life after cancer can be amazing
Although it's been 18 years, I still clearly remember how scared my family was when I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in my right...
Why I’ve devoted my career to cancer prevention
If you had told me years ago that one day all I’d be doing was preventive medicine — and it would all be related to cancer — I’d have...
Throat cancer survivor: Caring made the difference at MD...
When I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the vocal cords — a type of throat cancer — in the summer of 2016, there was no...
Employee, ovarian cancer survivor: Why I chose MD Anderson
MD Anderson isn’t consistently ranked the top cancer hospital in the country because of luck. It’s because it has the best physicians,...
Uterine cancer caregiver: ‘We should’ve come to MD Anderson...
I am a very skeptical person, so when I hear things described as “the best,” I don’t really believe it. But MD Anderson has been...
CAR T cell therapy side effects in lymphoma patients
When chemotherapy and radiation fail, some adult patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma or children with acute lymphoblastic...
3 ways MD Anderson nurses make our patients feel safe and...
I knew that I wanted to be a nurse pretty early on. My grandmother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer when I was in the eighth...
5 things women should know about cancer screening
When it comes to cancer screenings, some women might think, “Well, I don’t have any symptoms, so I don’t need them.” But that’s...
Daughter of metastatic breast cancer patient: Why I...
From the outside, most people can’t tell that my mom has cancer. She looks great in short hair, stays really active and gets lots of...
Young acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor benefits from...
When Elijah “Eli” Delgado first started experiencing stomach pain, doctors told his mom, Leanne, it was most likely a gastrointestinal...
CBD oil and cancer: 9 things to know
CBD oil (cannabidiol) is everywhere these days. Once available only at novelty or vitamin shops, it’s now also at your local grocery...
Skull base tumor survivor: MD Anderson’s expertise saved my...
As a homicide detective, I deal with people in bad situations all the time. But to be on the other side of that equation is very scary...
Myelodysplastic syndrome survivor: A stem cell transplant...
A routine physical exam in October 2015 changed my life.
Doctors were alarmed by my low white blood cell count and wanted to...
Cancer treatment side effect: Dehydration
Do you feel thirstier than usual? Are you experiencing dry lips or skin? These may be signs of dehydration.
Dehydration is a common...
4 common cancer pain management myths
Nearly half of cancer patients experience pain caused by the cancer itself, cancer treatment or factors that aren’t related to cancer....
Gynecologic oncologist: Why cancer patients should come to...
I didn’t always want to be a doctor. When I first started college, I was a double major in literature and biology. I thought I’d be a...
MD Anderson saved my life — and my adolescent daughter’s
Cancer doesn’t run in my family or my husband’s. Only one of my ancestors had it: my paternal grandmother died of lung cancer when I...
What is lymphedema? Understanding this common cancer...
Lymphedema is a common cancer treatment side effect that can cause swelling in a patient’s arm or leg. It may lead to discomfort, pain...
Metastatic melanoma survivor finds hope in clinical trials
Joey Nelson has always loved the sun. “I sailed growing up,” he says. “Every Saturday we’d go and I’d get sunburned like crazy, not...
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor: MD Anderson saved my life...
Statistically speaking, I shouldn’t be alive today. Since being diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 27, I’ve suffered...
Skull base tumor surgeon: Why you should come to MD...
As a surgeon, I am motivated by the challenge skull base tumors represent — both their complexity and the impact that they have on our...
Liver cancer: What you should know
The liver is your body’s largest organ. It’s responsible for digestion, blood clotting and helping get rid of toxins. But unlike other...
Writing letters to strangers helped me manage my fears...
It was December 2018 when my family knew something was seriously wrong with my dad. An otherwise healthy 54-year-old man and avid...
3 nutrients cancer survivors should know
Overcoming cancer can bring a new perspective on life – and health. Your body needs nutrients to stay healthy and to limit the...
Vaginal cancer survivor grateful for MD Anderson
Mary Taylor thought she was experiencing pelvic pain due to endometriosis in early 2015. She never suspected it was a symptom of...
Pencil beam proton therapy: What to know
Pencil beam scanning, also called scanning beam, is the most advanced type of proton therapy. Only a few millimeters wide (the width...
Dysphagia in cancer patients: What to know
The ability to swallow — or to eat and drink what you enjoy most without choking or coughing — is something that many of us take for...
Sarcoma and breast cancer survivor gives hope to other...
Kay Atten’s dreams revolved around her four children. In 2005, her two sons and two daughters were on the edge of adulthood, and she...
My salivary cancer diagnosis gave me a new appreciation for...
When I had an earache for a couple of weeks in August 2007 and couldn’t sleep on my right side for very long, I went to my primary...
After my acute myeloid leukemia treatment, check-ups feel...
I first came to MD Anderson in January 2013, after being diagnosed in Florida with acute myeloid leukemia. I didn’t know it at the...
My thymoma treatment: Why I chose MD Anderson
When I found out I had thymoma — a rare tumor of the thymus gland — I knew I couldn’t stay in South Texas for my treatment.
I’d been...
Why I traveled 1,600 miles for breast cancer treatment
Until January 2016, I’d never heard of MD Anderson. I had no idea that it was considered the top hospital for cancer care in this...
No shoulder, no problem: Liposarcoma survivor adjusts to...
Liposcarcoma survivor Tom Gattle has never let his amputated shoulder stop him from doing the things he loves. He goes fly fishing...
Olfactory neuroblastoma survivor finds hope at MD Anderson
Robby Witt knows about hope. In the last six years, he has gone through more highs and lows than most people experience in a lifetime....
Why I chose faith over fear after a late Ewing’s sarcoma...
As a nurse practitioner at MD Anderson, I’d heard of case studies where Ewing’s sarcoma survivors had seen their cancer return, even...
3 things to know about MD Anderson Cancer Network®
At MD Anderson, we believe that everyone deserves the best possible cancer care.
But we know that an extended stay in Houston isn’t...
Breast cancer survivor: I'm thankful I came to MD Anderson...
Some people go to MD Anderson after they’ve exhausted all other local cancer treatment options. But for me, the thought of going...
Personalized breast cancer treatment kept me in the race
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, but when I was diagnosed with it in November 2016, it didn’t feel that way. I...
Advanced practice providers play key role in cancer care
Brandon Sterling’s first week as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) was a crash course in collaboration.
As a newly...
Retired physician: I wish I’d gotten a colonoscopy sooner
I was hired as an infectious disease specialist by MD Anderson in 1983. And until I retired in January 2019, I routinely helped...
Acinic cell carcinoma survivor grateful for clinical trial
Keith Taggart noticed a lump the size of a pea in his left cheek in October 2014. He was also experiencing fatigue, weight loss,...
Helping my husband through brain tumor surgery
My husband, Richard, likes to say, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!” That’s what he said to me when I first noticed the small bump on...
Stage IV melanoma survivor: Immunotherapy clinical trial...
I was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in December 2014, a year after I had a cancerous mole removed from my left calf. I thought I...
5 things I didn’t expect from life after cancer
Cancer survivorship is not exactly what I thought it would be. It has brought both unexpected hardship and indescribable joy to my...
Neurofibromatosis survivor: Snapshots from an MD Anderson...
I first became an MD Anderson patient more than 28 years ago, at age 4. But, I’ve never had cancer.
I was born with a genetic...
Should you use dietary supplements during cancer treatment?
From vitamin A to calcium to folate to zinc, there are dozens of types of supplements. And if you’re undergoing cancer treatment, you...
New blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN)...
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare type of acute leukemia that impacts about 500-1,000 people in the U.S....
How I turned my kidney and brain cancer diagnoses into...
When I was diagnosed with kidney cancer at age 29, I thought I had a life-changing story to tell. I was enjoying a great career and my...
Ovarian cancer survivor: How I’ve managed stage IV cancer...
After my first ovarian cancer recurrence in January 2009, I figured longevity was probably not in the cards for me. Because once stage...
Personalized acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment let me...
When I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia — a type of blood cancer — I knew that my case was going to be a tough one. As...
Leukemia diagnosis gives basketball player Andrew Jones a...
Andrew Jones was a rising star on The University of Texas men's basketball team in late 2017, when he started experiencing flu-like...
Why I’m grateful for Texas’ Tobacco 21 legislation
I first became aware of MD Anderson when my dear friend, James Ragan, of blessed memory, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of...
My advice to other patients: Focus on today
I am a strong, athletic, never-been-sick type of person. I am also very career-driven. So when I was diagnosed with stage IV squamous...
Pregnant brain tumor patient finds answers, comfort at MD...
Kylie Temple knew from a young age that she loved kids. As a NICU nurse in Mississippi, Kylie spends her days around infants, and in...
5 things I learned from my non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment
In late 2014, I was diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. At the time, I had no idea what that...
5 lessons I learned during tonsil cancer treatment
MD Anderson is a very humbling place. When I was there for my tonsil cancer treatments in late 2016 and early 2017, I’d always see...
Why I chose MD Anderson for breast cancer treatment
When I was diagnosed with stage IB invasive ductal carcinoma — a type of breast cancer — in at age 36, my husband and I were clueless...
Mother knows best: Motherly advice that shaped our doctors
A mother’s nurturing love and support can help guide a child – or adult – to great things. Mother’s Day is an opportunity to recognize...
Nurse creates art to help childhood cancer patients through...
It takes more than Band-Aids with cartoon characters to put children receiving cancer treatment at ease, but Leo Flores knows how.
...
HER2-positive breast cancer survivor: I believe in MD...
Jennifer Smith didn’t come to MD Anderson first for her breast cancer treatment, but she wishes she had. After she’d undergone...
10-year glioblastoma survivor: Get busy living
Rare. Unusual. Anomaly. All of these words are synonymous with being a long-term glioblastoma survivor. All statistical data suggests...
Why I involved my kids in oral cancer recovery
When I was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, a type of oral cancer, my husband and I tried to be as open...
As her husband completes brain tumor treatment, caregiver...
When Adam Schoen first noticed he was losing his sense of taste, his wife, Claire, wasn’t too worried. She also wasn’t fazed shortly...
Why I support the HPV vaccine after my tonsil cancer...
When an ear, nose and throat doctor confirmed that I had tonsil cancer in October 2016, it came as something of a relief. I know that...
Becoming a mom after sarcoma treatment has been my greatest...
When my husband and I got married in July 2014, we were looking forward to our honeymoon to celebrate the beginning of our lives...
It takes a team to get through primary peritoneal cancer
Ever since Kathy Brown was diagnosed with primary peritoneal cancer in 2018, her husband Andy has been at her side. He drives her to...
Making the most of life after a total pelvic exenteration
On April 3, 2007, I had a surgical procedure at MD Anderson called a total pelvic exenteration. During the procedure, Dr. Michael...
Uterine cancer survivor grateful for the right diagnosis –...
Looking back, the symptoms of my uterine cancer seem a little more obvious to me now. I’d had heavy and irregular periods my whole...
Thyroid cancer survivor: Targeted therapy saved my life
I probably wouldn’t be here today if I’d accepted the standard treatment for my stage IV anaplastic thyroid cancer and stayed in San...
5 things newly diagnosed breast cancer patients should know
If you’ve just received a breast cancer diagnosis, you probably have a lot of questions: What type of breast cancer do I have? How...
How running has helped me through two ocular melanoma...
When I began running at age 17, I ran about three times a week because it made me feel good and helped me maintain a healthy weight....
Why I chose MD Anderson for my uterine cancer treatment
I found out I had cancer by chance. I’d had menstrual issues since my first period, and my cycle was never normal. When I was 14, a...
Where you go first for triple-negative breast cancer...
I’d hoped that being a non-smoker who breastfed four children and never used hormone replacement therapy might protect me from...
Half of my tongue is gone, but I couldn’t be happier
I’ve had four of my back teeth removed, the floor of my mouth rebuilt and more than half of my tongue replaced with an arm muscle. But...
4 things I love about MD Anderson
One of the first things I did when I moved to Houston in late 2016 was contact MD Anderson. I’ve been in remission from colorectal...
Why I took a chance on immunotherapy
MD Anderson’s Dr. Patrick Hwu often tells me that if he could write a cancer success story, he would want it to read just like mine....
Oral cancer survivor: personalized maxillofacial...
When Patricia Lines came to MD Anderson for her first appointment in 2012, she was impressed by the way all the different parts of her...
Can exercise make chemotherapy more effective?
You already knew exercise can help prevent cancer. But what if it could help you fight your cancer?
Researchers are looking into how...
3 myths about inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to infection or injury. But because of misinformation circulating in the media, there’s...
My colorectal cancer diagnosis caught me by surprise
My journey with colorectal cancer began suddenly and unexpectedly. One day I was feeling OK and the next, after a painful night, I...
Osteosarcoma survivor: MD Anderson has helped shape my...
In 2016, osteosarcoma was the last thing on my mind. I was a typical and active high-school junior playing sports and hanging out with...
Community scientists help advance cancer research in the...
A researcher designs new materials that could help prevent cancer in underserved communities, so why aren’t the materials being used?...
Getting to know Carin Hagberg, M.D.
The career of Carin Hagberg, M.D., has come full circle. She began her career at MD Anderson as a research assistant in the clinical...
5 things I learned after my double mastectomy
As a former nurse in MD Anderson’s Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), I felt pretty familiar with breast cancer surgery. So, I thought...
Nurses on the front lines of immunotherapy
A patient writes, “The Astros will win the World Series next year,” in bold print as Jaquelin Velasquez watches. The clinical nurse in...
Astrocytoma survivor: I feel lucky
How often does a brain tumor save your life? In Kellilyn Monar’s case, it may have done just that. She’d planned to be at the Route 91...
Triple-negative breast cancer survivor sees only benefits...
Lori Shults didn’t know much about clinical trials when she first came to MD Anderson in May 2017. “I thought they involved some...
Warriors within our ranks: Military veterans at MD Anderson
Leadership. Dependability. Teamwork. Problem-solving. These attributes essential for U.S. service members also are highly sought after...
Can immunotherapy treat glioblastoma? Understanding the...
A new study has revived hope for the role of immunotherapy in treating glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly form of brain...
5 things I learned after my breast cancer diagnosis
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2017, I was so stunned initially that I felt paralyzed. I didn’t know what to do,...
The unexpected benefit of being a myCancerConnection...
When I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in 2007, I decided to be an active participant in my cancer care. I joined a clinical...
Training employees to take big ideas to market
MD Anderson’s employees are full of ideas -- ideas about new ways to treat cancer, new ways to improve patient care, new ways to...
Hereditary leukemia syndromes: What patients and their...
Certain genetic changes, or mutations, can increase a person’s chances of developing cancer. These changes, known as hereditary cancer...
Ovarian cancer survivor: I found hope at MD Anderson
If it wasn’t for my daughter’s dog, I might never have found out that I had ovarian cancer. And if it wasn’t for MD Anderson, I might...
Stage III triple-negative breast cancer survivor: How I...
After being diagnosed with stage III triple-negative breast cancer in the summer of 2017, I was treated at MD Anderson with a...
Small cell ovarian cancer survivor grateful for life and...
At 26, small cell ovarian cancer was the last thing on Tabby Soignier’s mind. She wasn’t familiar with ovarian cancer symptoms, but...
Q&A: Understanding our Immunotherapy platform
MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program™ increases the speed at which our experts turn their research into new cancer treatment options for...
Survivor: Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer
Cancer does not run in my family, so when I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in September 2016, it came as a complete shock. I...
Stage III triple-negative breast cancer survivor encourages...
I never expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24. So, when I found a mass in my left breast in the summer of 2017, I...
Breast cancer pathologist: Getting the right diagnosis is...
When I first went to medical school, I thought I’d be a cardiologist. My dad was very sick with heart disease while I was growing up,...
What I wish I’d done differently during my non-Hodgkin...
When I learned that I had non-Hodgkin lymphoma in June 2011, an acquaintance said that he knew people who’d received treatment for...
Thyroid cancer survivor: MD Anderson took me from hospice...
In January 2017, I was diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer. The disease was so advanced that I was given only a few weeks to...
How a childhood brain tumor ignited a passion for nursing...
Abbey Kaler’s earliest memories of MD Anderson aren’t exactly fond ones. It’s the place she returned to dozens of times for follow-up...
The importance of observing milestones
One year, cancer-free. It was hard to believe it, even as I typed those words on Dec. 13, 2018. I never knew I could feel so overjoyed...
7 glioblastoma myths
Last updated Sept. 11, 2023
Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Although it’s considered...
Stage IV salivary gland cancer survivor: How proton therapy...
It’s difficult to say that someone is “the best” at something, especially when it comes to sports. How do you determine the No. 1...
How unexpected results can lead cancer research and...
Our Pedro Ramirez, M.D., caused a stir at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s annual meeting in March when he reported unexpected...
Many specialists, one goal: How we train whole teams to...
Interdisciplinary care is a hallmark of cancer care at MD Anderson. Teams of specialists care for patients from cancer diagnosis to...
How we’re helping radiation-therapy researchers around the...
It’s a good bet that somewhere out there, perhaps on the other side of the globe, a package from MD Anderson will be delivered to a...