Introducing Summer 2024 Breakthroughs

Published

A woman in a pink jogging suit with her hands outstretched in front of cherry trees.

Creating Hope

It is likely that you or someone you care about is affected by cancer; one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. In this issue of Breakthroughs, you will see just a few of the faces of people who are bravely taking on cancer with the help of Duke Cancer Institute. We were one of the first centers in the country to treat the whole person, not just their cancer, and we continue to break new ground in support services for our patients and their families. Our Supportive Care and Survivorship Center partnered with Duke University Communications to bring you the Many Faces of Cancer photo essay featured on the cover.

In this issue you’ll also read about the dedicated team that helps thousands of people at Duke and beyond reduce their dependence on tobacco, all the while contributing to the science that lies behind the newest treatments.

And you will find an inspiring story of hope about a mother and physician who is benefiting from a new combination treatment for people with bladder cancer and other urothelial cancers. Our physician-scientists played a role in taking this treatment to trial. This is just one example of how DCI is rewriting the narrative for patients who previously had few options.

None of this progress would be possible without you. The dedication of our donors and friends motivates us to continue pushing forward to discover, develop, and deliver tomorrow’s cancer care…today. Thank you for all that you do.

Michael Kastan signature

 

Michael B. Kastan, MD, PhD
Executive Director, Duke Cancer Institute
William and Jane Shingleton Professor, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
Professor of Pediatrics

Three family members looking at the camera thoughtfully and embracing.
Clifford Chieffo, Patricia. Chieffo, and Nina Chieffo, Cary, NC.

Faces of Cancer

A photo essay from Duke University photographer Jared Lazarus.

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Bottom a family of four smiles and laughs at an outdoor table playing a game.
Talia Aron at home with her husband, Chad, and daughters Lily and Abigail. (Photo by Eamon Queeney.)

New Hope

An emerging treatment for bladder cancer helps a mom when she needs it most.

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Three women in business casual clothing talking and smiling.
Physician assistant Bolu Abe-Lathan, PA-C; program manager Jillian Dirkes, MSW, LCSW; and clinical social worker Megan Keith, LCSW, MSW, are part of the Duke team that helps more than 6,000 people each year quit tobacco. (Photo by Eamon Queeney.)

Quit at Duke

This team helps thousands beat tobacco addiction.

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Two men in lab coats facing the camera and smiling.
Lead study author Michael P. Plebanek, PhD, and senior study author Brent A. Hanks, MD, PhD. (Photo by Eamon Queeney.)

How Tumors Hijack the Body's Immune System

A step forward in understanding why some cancers don't respond to immunotherapy.

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Related News

Bottom a family of four smiles and laughs at an outdoor table playing a game.
Talia Aron at home with her husband, Chad, and daughters Lily and Abigail. (Photo by Eamon Queeney.)
Article

New Hope

TALIA ARON, MD, WASN’T ALARMED AT FIRST WHEN SHE STARTED TO FEEL SOME NASTY LOWER BACK PAIN. Last September, the medical director at a telehealth company had been traveling to professional conferences for days, sitting on airplanes and in hard-backed chairs.But instead of getting better when she returned home to Greensboro, North Carolina, the pain got worse. “Looking back at a picture of me [at a conference] in Nashville, I was kind of a grey color,” Aron said.By the time she saw her OB-GYN, the pain was so bad that her physician sent her straight to the emergency department in Greensboro.Doctors at first thought that Aron had a kidney stone or infection. Then she was diagnosed with kidney cancer.When she sought a second opinion at Duke, she received what would turn out to be the correct diagnosis: a urothelial cancer that had already clawed its way into her kidney. Urothelial cancers include all cancers that grow out of cells that line the bladder and the ureters (tubes that drain urine from the kidneys to the bladder).Historically, people with advanced urothelial cancer live, on average, for sixteen months, with only 10% surviving five years or more on standard-of-care therapy.But doctors at Duke had a new treatment in mind for Aron that offered her much better odds. The only problem was, the combination therapy, developed by a medical oncologist at Duke Cancer Institute, was approved at that time only for a select population of patients. She would need help from friends and physicians at Duke and beyond to get the best treatment for her.

Duke Cancer Institute Blog
Three family members looking at the camera thoughtfully and embracing.
Clifford Chieffo, Patricia. Chieffo, and Nina Chieffo, Cary, NC.
Article

Stay in the Light

Duke University photographer Jared Lazarus first launched the Many Faces of Cancer Project in 2017. This is the second installment of his images and narratives featuring people at all stages of their journey with cancer.The portraits are hung at the first-floor entrance to the Duke Cancer Center to serve as a source of comfort, empowerment, and a celebration of the individual’s strength. This project is sponsored by Duke Cancer Institute’s Supportive Care and Survivorship Center in partnership with Duke University Communications and Marketing.

Duke Cancer Institute Blog

Related News

Bottom a family of four smiles and laughs at an outdoor table playing a game.
Talia Aron at home with her husband, Chad, and daughters Lily and Abigail. (Photo by Eamon Queeney.)
Article

New Hope

TALIA ARON, MD, WASN’T ALARMED AT FIRST WHEN SHE STARTED TO FEEL SOME NASTY LOWER BACK PAIN. Last September, the medical director at a telehealth company had been traveling to professional conferences for days, sitting on airplanes and in hard-backed chairs.But instead of getting better when she returned home to Greensboro, North Carolina, the pain got worse. “Looking back at a picture of me [at a conference] in Nashville, I was kind of a grey color,” Aron said.By the time she saw her OB-GYN, the pain was so bad that her physician sent her straight to the emergency department in Greensboro.Doctors at first thought that Aron had a kidney stone or infection. Then she was diagnosed with kidney cancer.When she sought a second opinion at Duke, she received what would turn out to be the correct diagnosis: a urothelial cancer that had already clawed its way into her kidney. Urothelial cancers include all cancers that grow out of cells that line the bladder and the ureters (tubes that drain urine from the kidneys to the bladder).Historically, people with advanced urothelial cancer live, on average, for sixteen months, with only 10% surviving five years or more on standard-of-care therapy.But doctors at Duke had a new treatment in mind for Aron that offered her much better odds. The only problem was, the combination therapy, developed by a medical oncologist at Duke Cancer Institute, was approved at that time only for a select population of patients. She would need help from friends and physicians at Duke and beyond to get the best treatment for her.

Duke Cancer Institute Blog
Three family members looking at the camera thoughtfully and embracing.
Clifford Chieffo, Patricia. Chieffo, and Nina Chieffo, Cary, NC.
Article

Stay in the Light

Duke University photographer Jared Lazarus first launched the Many Faces of Cancer Project in 2017. This is the second installment of his images and narratives featuring people at all stages of their journey with cancer.The portraits are hung at the first-floor entrance to the Duke Cancer Center to serve as a source of comfort, empowerment, and a celebration of the individual’s strength. This project is sponsored by Duke Cancer Institute’s Supportive Care and Survivorship Center in partnership with Duke University Communications and Marketing.

Duke Cancer Institute Blog