UT MD Anderson Cancer Center

06/01/2026

After donating blood for the first time in high school, Alizabeth Johnson continued giving regularly and even donated blood for a neighbor who needed a transfusion during cancer treatment.

Years later, Johnson became the caregiver for her mother with cancer. She saw firsthand how blood transfusions can save lives after her mom was treated at UT MD Anderson.

Now, Johnson encourages everyone to donate.

Read more of her story. http://spr.ly/6000B8iyEk

05/31/2026

After a pancreatic cancer diagnosis put his retirement travel plans on hold, Steve Wallace did not know if he would get the chance to return to the adventures he and his wife had planned. Today, he is preparing for a Caribbean cruise after participating in a clinical trial of daraxonrasib at UT MD Anderson.

Results from the phase 3 study, presented today at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, showed the RAS(ON) inhibitor doubled survival compared with chemotherapy in previously treated pancreatic cancer.

“This is what makes these advances so meaningful,” says our Dr. Shubham Pant. “We are seeing patients regain quality of life and get back to the activities they enjoy.”

Read Steve’s story: http://spr.ly/6188B8gUMp

Daraxonrasib improved symptoms enough that some patients could resume ​activities they had previously abandoned and a new benchmark for treating the deadly cancer.

05/31/2026

Lung cancer treatment is advancing, with combination therapies offering a more personalized approach to treatment.

Drs. Lauren Byers and Ferdinandos Skoulidis discuss how targeted therapy and immunotherapy are being used together to improve outcomes.

They also highlight major progress in KRAS research and a few treatment approaches that may reduce the need for traditional chemotherapy.

Listen to the full Cancerwise podcast episode here or wherever you get your podcasts: http://spr.ly/6185B8jDV3

05/30/2026

Stacy Dixon’s second melanoma diagnosis was more complex than her first. Instead of removing a single small mole, doctors recommended brain surgery to remove stage 4 tumors.

That’s when she turned to UT MD Anderson, where she found a new treatment path through a clinical trial.

Stacy has since been cancer-free and says she would do it all again.

Dr. Jeffrey Weinberg presented the findings of this clinical trial during the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. You can read more about Stacy’s diagnosis and the brachytherapy treatment trial here: http://spr.ly/6001B8do1N

Stage 4 melanoma survivor Stacy Dixon joined a clinical trial for a new, tile-based form of brachytherapy back in 2022. That technology could change the standard of care for patients with brain metastases forever.

05/29/2026

Nearly all new drugs go through a clinical trial process, starting with Phase 1.

These trials are vital to understanding how safe and effective a cancer drug is.

Dr. David Hong shares the importance of Phase 1 clinical trials and what to know before joining one. http://spr.ly/6008B8brDK

A Phase 1 clinical trial is the starting point for finding experimental drugs that can be used to treat cancer. But how do you know if one is right for you? David Hong, M.D., shares more about Phase 1 clinical trials, including who should consider participating and what to expect.

05/28/2026

What happens after remission?

That’s the next challenge researchers are working to answer. In relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, measurable residual disease (MRD) may reveal cancer cells that remain even when standard tests show remission. Researchers are studying how identifying and treating this hidden disease could help reduce relapse and improve long-term outcomes.

This research will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and reflects ongoing efforts to better understand what comes next after remission for patients with leukemia.

05/28/2026

Breakthroughs in cancer research are happening every day, and this week, our experts are sharing five important studies that bring us closer to more personalized care and treatment at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2026 Annual Meeting.

Dr. Jennifer Litton highlights these findings and the new hope they offer for understanding and treating aggressive cancer types. http://spr.ly/6005B8ZOnB

At the 2026 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, UT MD Anderson clinicians and researchers are showcasing breakthrough therapies targeting specific mutations and rare subsets of cancer. These research is offering new hope for patients with historically hard-to-treat cancers,...

05/27/2026

Cancer biomarkers tell us the specific characteristics of a tumor, allowing your care team to take a unique and tailored approach to your treatment.

“As our ability to analyze tumors becomes more refined, biomarker testing is increasingly helping us match the right treatment to the right patient at the right time, while also allowing us to better understand how cancers evolve,” says Dr. Funda Meric-Bernstam.

Learn more about how biomarkers are shaping the future of cancer care: http://spr.ly/6004B8X8ko

Increasingly, physicians are using cancer biomarkers to learn more information about a patient's tumor to predict which type of treatment is most likely to be effective against their unique cancer. Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., discusses what cancer biomarkers are, how they guide targeted therapies, a...

05/27/2026

The American Cancer Society has updated its colore**al cancer screening guidelines to include blood-based testing as an option for some adults at average risk. While colonoscopy remains the gold standard, experts hope additional screening choices can help more people get tested earlier.

“This is the first blood-based test but won’t be the last, and the hope is that future tests will continue to reduce the barriers to access to effective screening and will have improved performance,” says our Dr. Scott Kopetz.

Read more: http://spr.ly/6008B8n41s

The American Cancer Society is adding some new testing options to its screening guideline for colore**al cancers – and for the first time, that includes a blood test.

05/26/2026

If you have oral cancer or another mouth condition, your doctor may recommend removing part of your tongue by having glossectomy surgery.

For some patients, that might mean a total removal of the tongue.

Dr. Karen Choi and Dr. Carly Barbon discuss the procedure and how they work to help patients during and after recovery. http://spr.ly/6002B8poWe

A glossectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the tongue. Glossectomies are used to treat oral tongue cancer and benign conditions of the tongue. Karen Choi, M.D., and Carly Barbon, Ph.D., share what to know about glossectomies.