MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

03/19/2026

Registration for LOWVELO26 is officially open! Register today to get our Early Bird Deal - the lowest fundraising commitment for any route! LOWVELO is our annual fundraising bike ride. Every cent you raise will go to lifesaving cancer research happening right here at Hollings! Register now at LOWVEO.ORG.

03/17/2026

Hair today...hope tomorrow! Hollings' Dr. John O'Bryan and graduate research assistant Cameron Bumbleberg were bold enough to go bald for childhood cancer this past weekend. The two took part in the St. Baldrick's Foundation head shaving event, raising money for childhood cancer research.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer and donor powered charity committed to supporting the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

Way to go, guys! Bald is beautiful!

03/14/2026

Our Community Outreach and Engagement team has been busy! Through our SC AMEN program, funded by Healthy Me Healthy SC and TD Bank, this team educates Black men about their increased risk of prostate cancer and empowers them on next steps.

This program has been so successful that the SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare funded a spin-off, SC PRENS. In SC PRENS, our Community Outreach and Engagement team partners with HopeHealth to educate men in the rural P*e Dee about prostate cancer and to navigate them to screenings.

What do you need to know about prostate cancer?
It's the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in South Carolina.
Most men should talk to their doctors about screening at age 50. Black men and men with a strong family history of prostate cancer should start that conversation even sooner, at age 40.

Learn more about SC AMEN here: https://hollingscancercenter.musc.edu/outreach/sc-amen-program

03/13/2026

She went into a colonoscopy expecting a routine exam. She woke up to a cancer diagnosis. Because screening guidelines had recently been lowered to age 45, Robin Via’s cancer was caught before it could silently progress to Stage 4 re**al cancer.

At Hollings, a multidisciplinary team recommended total neoadjuvant therapy – a treatment that, for some patients, can eliminate cancer before surgery is ever needed.

Today, Robin is cancer-free and celebrating milestones she once feared she might miss, including crossing the finish line of the 2025 Cooper River Bridge Run 10K.

“Get screened and stay on top of your health,” she said. “If something feels off, speak up.”
Screening saves lives. Early detection can change everything.

Read Robin’s remarkable journey:

Robin Via's cancer was discovered thanks to a routine screening colonoscopy.

03/12/2026

When Nancy Love was diagnosed with breast cancer, it didn’t come as a shock.

“I’d been expecting it,” she said of cancer that had shaped her family for generations.

At Hollings, her diagnosis sparked more than treatment. Nancy underwent genetic testing at age 86 – an important step many people don’t realize can still provide valuable answers later in life. That testing revealed a BRCA1 mutation, information that is now guiding care for her daughter and helping her granddaughter make clearer choices about her future.

Their story is a powerful reminder: Genetic counseling isn’t just about one patient. It’s about empowering families with knowledge that can shape generations.

Read how three generations are facing cancer risk together:

Genetic counseling often wasn't offered for older patients years ago. But genetic testing can provide direction for the next generations, says cancer genetic counselor Libby Malphrus.

03/11/2026

Dr. Nancy Klauber-DeMore's curiosity was sparked in the early 2000s when an exciting new drug did not work for breast cancer. That started her on a research path that led to the development of a new antibody that, in pre-clinical experiments, blocks the growth of triple negative breast cancer. Dr. Klauber-DeMore walks BreastCancer.org podcast host Jamie DePolo through her research and next steps.

Listen: https://www.breastcancer.org/podcast/antibody-may-stop-tnbc-from-growing

03/10/2026

When William Burr noticed blood in his stool at age 34, he assumed it was something minor.
Within days, the father of two was diagnosed with Stage 3 re**al cancer.

“I thought it was diet-related,” he said. “Cancer never crossed my mind.”

Today, Will has no evidence of disease after aggressive treatment at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. But his message is clear: If something feels off, don’t ignore it.

Colore**al cancer is rising in younger adults, and many have no family history or genetic warning signs.

“If you have bleeding, changes in your bowels, unexplained fatigue – demand to be evaluated,” said Dr. Virgilio George. “You are your best advocate.”

Read Will’s powerful story of resilience that illustrates why symptoms should never be dismissed.

At only 34, colore**al cancer didn't occur to William Burr. But the blood in his stool was a warning sign.

03/09/2026

Happy Social Work Month! We're so lucky to have this fabulous team of social workers who are always looking for ways to make our patients' journeys a little easier.
Whether it's making connections to financial or transportation resources or simply helping to navigate the health care system, this team is a critical part of the care here at Hollings.

Learn more: https://hollingscancercenter.musc.edu/patient-care/patient-services/social-work

03/08/2026

Discover the latest stories of hope, innovation and impact from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

The newest issue of Hollings Horizons is now available online – featuring inspiring patient journeys, groundbreaking research and the work happening every day to advance cancer care across South Carolina.

Read the digital magazine here:

Hollings Horizons magazine features inspiring patient stories, innovative research discoveries, and community outreach highlights from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center in South Carolina.

03/07/2026

"I think it is important to not omit what precedes us. ... if we do not train ourselves to remember what precedes us, we are not going to effectively stand on the shoulders of those giants."

Joni Nelson, our assistant director of Workforce Development and Organizational Culture here at Hollings, sat down for an in-depth talk about leadership, careers in science and public health, building the health care workforce in rural areas and her inspirations. We spoke with VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center director Robert Winn in honor of Black History Month.

One of Joni D. Nelson’s biggest influences growing up was her maternal grandmother, or Màma, as Nelson would affectionately call her. Despite a third grade e...

03/06/2026

What if doctors could see cancer in an entirely new way?

At Hollings, researchers are looking for answers in an unexpected place – glycans – tiny molecules found on the surface of our cells that change as cancer develops and interacts with the immune system.

MUSC has teamed up with the scientific company Bruker to form the Bruker–MUSC Center of Excellence in Clinical Glycomics, which is using advanced technology to map these molecular patterns directly from patient tissue. These maps can help scientists see how tumors behave, how they interact with the immune system and why immunotherapies work for some patients but not others.

“Every person’s cancer is different. These tools give us another way to understand that difference,” said the center’s co-founder Dr. Richard Drake.

Read how this unique partnership is shaping the future of cancer care and bringing precision medicine closer to reality:

The Bruker-MUSC Center of Excellence in Clinical Glycomics is turning the study of glycans into clinical tools for more personalized cancer care.

03/06/2026

Did you spot South Carolina legislators wearing sneakers yesterday? It was Suits & Sneakers Day with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network! A group from Hollings joined legislators, partners and advocates from across the state in Columbia to highlight the importance of cancer research and patient care for South Carolinians.