CU Cancer Center

Baxter’s Second Chance: A Rescue’s Journey Through Cancer and Hope Follow Baxter’s inspiring fight against nasal cancer through a CSU clinical trial, advancing treatments for pets and humans alike.

For Baxter and his owners, a clinical trial at Colorado State University’s Flint Animal Cancer Center led by CU Cancer Center member Keara Boss, DVM, PhD, gave more than just time; it gave quality time ⬇️
https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/baxter-sinonasal-carcinoma

A photo of Joshua Black, PhD. He's smiling and wearing a button up light blue shirt.

We are sending our deepest condolences to the family and friends of CU Cancer Center member Joshua Black, PhD, who passed away on Saturday, October 25, at the age of 45, following a battle with cancer. We encourage contributions at giving.cu.edu/JBlack to support a research lectureship in his honor.

Even in her role in administration, Stephanie Farmer, MHA, makes a difference in people’s lives every day. Families, friends, and colleagues often turn to her when they need help accessing clinical care or finding the right specialist. Watch the full interview: https://bit.ly/3JcksgJ

Congrats CU Cancer Center member Saketh R. Guntupalli, MD!

WATCH: Our leaders share what 40 years of the CU Cancer Center means to them ⬇️

New Clinic Helps Streamline Care for Cancer Patients with Endocrine Complications CU Anschutz physicians have established an endocrine-oncology clinic to help patients get specialized care quickly.

Health care providers in the CU Cancer Center and @cudeptofmedicine.bsky.social have collaborated to establish a new endocrine-oncology clinic to provide efficient, multidisciplinary care ⬇️
https://news.cuanschutz.edu/department-of-medicine/endocrine-oncology-clinic

Lung Cancer Awareness Month: CU Cancer Center member Gina Kruse, MD, shares tools and tips to help people quit smoking or vaping.

For more ways to quit, read about the Be Strong program and the 2Morrow Health Mobile App: https://bit.ly/4oLhPBz

💜 💜 💜

Traci Lyons, PhD, looking through a microscope. There is a grid background overalyed with cells. There is also a pink ribbon.

New research from CU Cancer Center's Traci Lyons, PhD, shows that semaphorin 7A is a promising target for breast cancer treatment, particularly for younger women who were 30 or older when they first gave birth: https://bit.ly/47dGLMh

A New Playbook for Assessing Older Patients With Cancer in Places Where Resources are Scarce A CU Cancer Center leader co-chaired a panel that drafted guidelines for assessments of older people with cancer where medical resources are lacking.

CU Cancer Center leader Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis, MD, PhD, was co-chair of an @ascocancer.bsky.social panel that developed new guidelines for conducting geriatric assessments of older people with cancer in parts of the world where robust medical resources may be lacking ⬇️
bit.ly/3WsIkQk

Paul Bunn, MD, inaugural director, and @drcamidge.bsky.social, MD, PhD, director of thoracic oncology, both share what has changed during their time with the CU Cancer Center and what the next 40 years can bring ⬇️

This morning's meeting of our monthly @accordsresearch.bsky.social imPROve Patient-Reported Outcomes Working Group. Phenomenal group of @cuanschutz.bsky.social @cucancercenter.bsky.social investigators working on new quality of life studies. #HRQoL medschool.cuanschutz.edu/accords/rese...

Move to CU Meant a New Outlook — and Look — for Breast Cancer Patient Laura Roberts Breast cancer patient Laura Roberts moved her care to CU where among the care she received was a breast revision surgery with Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD.

After treatment for breast cancer, Laura Roberts connected with CU Cancer Center member Franchesca König, MD, to help her rehab. Read about Roberts' cancer journey ⬇️
https://news.cuanschutz.edu/department-of-surgery/breast-cancer-patient-laura-roberts

A group photo of Research Day attendees.

An attendee adds a stick note to a discussion board.

One of many discussions amongst attendees at Research Day.

CU Cancer Center leader Jamie Studts, PhD, shares a PowerPoint slide on team science.

Earlier this month, the Katy O. and Paul M. Rady Esophageal and Gastric Center of Excellence launched its first Research Day, which highlighted uniting clinical, translational, behavioral, and population-based research to improve outcomes for patients with esophageal and gastric cancers.

After his lung cancer diagnosis, @drcamidge.bsky.social created the 90-Day Challenge — a way to reclaim time between scans by doing something meaningful.

From yoga to painting, he chose purpose over fear – news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-cente...

AB Nexus Grant Will Help CU Cancer Center Researchers Use Quantum Computing to Perfect Drugs for Colorectal Cancer Daniel LaBarbera, PhD, and Karolin Luger, PhD, received an AB Nexus grant to use quantum computing to perfect colorectal cancer drugs.

In a new study funded by an AB Nexus grant, CU Cancer Center members Daniel LaBarbera, PhD, and Karolin Luger, PhD, will research whether quantum computing can identify a promising treatment for colorectal cancer ⬇️ 🔬
https://bit.ly/42NNhH6

Mary Kolbenschlag and her husband, Chris.

For Mary Kolbenschlag, her mammogram didn't just find breast cancer; it led to her discovering she had a stage one lung cancer tumor. Read how a routine mammogram led to life-saving lung cancer surgery: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/department-of-surgery/routine-mammogram-led-to-lung-cancer-surgery

YouTube video by CU Cancer Center Meet Stephanie Farmer, MHA | From 1988 to Today at CU Cancer Center

Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/eqzqeUe_H7g?...

#GetToKnowStephanieFarmerMHA #CUCancerCenterLeaders #HealthcareLeadership

For Stephanie Farmer, MHA, leadership is not about titles; it’s about people. Her advice: listen first, create space for others to grow, and never stop learning yourself. She believes strong leaders are those who value collaboration, stay open to new ideas, and use their knowledge to guide others.

Eyes Widen for Uveal Melanoma Treatment: Sapna Patel’s Groundbreaking Findings at ESMO 2025 CU Cancer Center's Sapna Patel MD unveils breakthrough PRAME-targeted T-cell therapy at ESMO 2025, offering new hope for uveal melanoma and rare cancers.

Sapna Patel, MD, a leading oncologist and researcher at the CU Cancer Center, presented her transformative findings on a phase I trial that targets uveal melanoma during the Presidential Symposium at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Berlin ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4ncDDVD

A Major Study Examines Endoscopies that Fail to Detect Esophageal Cancer An endoscopy can be an invaluable way to detect esophageal cancer. But sometimes, an endoscopy can miss cancer, which doesn’t get detected until later.

New study from CU Cancer Center's Sachin Wani, MD, compared rates of cancer & neoplasia detected through endoscopies to instances of post-endoscopy esophageal cancer and post-endoscopy esophageal neoplasia ⬇️
https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/wani-endoscopy-esophageal-cancer-gastroenterology

What’s a PitNET, and How are They Treated? At the CU Cancer Center, patients with pituitary tumors are evaluated and treated at the multidisciplinary Pituitary Tumor Program.

October is Pituitary Awareness Month! Here at the CU Cancer
Center, patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumors are treated at the multidisciplinary Pituitary Tumor Program, learn more ⬇️
https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/pituitary-tumors-program

A eagle's eye view of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus taken around 30 years ago.

Construction of the Nighthorse Campbell Native Health Building

Photo of almost complete construction of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Photo taken in the early 2000s.

Helicopter camera shot of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. There is some minor construction. There is also the Rocky Mountains in the distance.

#TBT: The CU Cancer Center was founded 40 years ago this year, and we've seen some big changes and additions @cuanschutz.bsky.social along the way...

An Understudied Type of Breast Cancer Poses a Lurking Threat Matt Sikora, PhD, seeks better answers for lobular breast cancer, which can be harder to detect & has lower survival rates after several years than other types.

#LobularBreastCancerAwarenessDay: New research from CU Cancer Center member Matthew Sikora, PhD, seeks ways to potentially open up a new treatment option for people with this challenging cancer type ⬇️
https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/sikora-lobular-breast-cancer

From Terminal Diagnosis to No Evidence of Disease Thanks to a Clinical Trial at the CU Cancer Center After Erica Greenwood's stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis, Elena Shagisultanova enrolled her in a life-saving clinical trial of alpelisib and fulvestrant.

“It gave me hope,” said Erica Greenwood about the clinical trial offered by CU Cancer Center member Elena Shagisultanova, MD, PhD, to combat her #BreastCancer tumors ⬇️
https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/erica-greenwood-breast-cancer-clinical-trial

A graphic that says "Myths" and "Facts" on the left and right respectively. In the middle it reads " Cancer Clinical Trials".

CU Cancer Center member Bradley Corr, MD, debunks eight cancer clinical trial myths you might have heard. Learn the facts here: https://bit.ly/3VZvrNs

Meet Breelyn Wilky, MD | Stories of Hope and Innovation in Cancer Treatment YouTube video by CU Cancer Center

Watch the full interview here: www.youtube.com/watch?si=JuO...

Defining moments shape Breelyn Wilky, MD’s work—like watching a patient with angiosarcoma, once out of options, achieve a complete response in an immunotherapy trial and later share photos of hiking the Grand Canyon. Stories like this fuel her commitment to advancing cancer research.

CU Cancer Center Breaks Down the Divide Between Research and Community Research at the CU Cancer Center saves lives. To make that point, cancer center researchers are engaging with people where they live.

The CU Cancer Center's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement has launched the CAFÉ Series, a monthly schedule of gatherings at the Aurora Public Library, where the community can talk to cancer researchers directly. Learn more and RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4nBnhH8

A group of people walking at the start of last year's City Park Classic.

On November 1, join us for the City Park Classic for pancreatic cancer research! 💜 🏃‍♂️ Register here: https://citypark5k.com