Hollings Cancer Center Sign Up Information

We had a ball with cervical cancer survivor Tammy Grainger who joined us for a day of fashion modeling, showing off her favorite wigs. She has 17 in her growing collection. Grainger, who loved her ‘Cinderella’ day, said she refuses to let cancer define her. Join us in sharing her photos as she raises awareness about cancer prevention and encourages other survivors to strike a pose!

Hollings Cancer Center researcher, Matthew Carpenter, Ph.D., conducted a study to have primary care providers hand out goody bags to patients who smoked. He was inspired by the findings. Read more

Breaking news: EVERYONE who is registered for LOWVELO by midnight tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 22, will be entered in a drawing to win a LOWVELO20 jersey!*

We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Hincapie Sportswear!

Check out the LOWVELO20 kit! We are excited to share that depending on the item purchased, 25 to 43% will be attributed to your LOWVELO fundraising. Choose from jerseys, bibs, shorts, vests, and arm warmers. The deadline to order your LOWVELO gear is noon on Wednesday, Sept. 23!

Order now!

*If you previously registered for LOWVELO 2020, you will automatically be entered in the drawing for a LOWVELO20 jersey. If you have not registered, please visit www.lowvelo.org! Registration is free or $25 for this year''s T-shirt.

Last week, we issued a challenge to collectively raise $15,780 by Sept. 30. That represents the number of children who are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in the United States in 2020. Even though there are no fundraising requirements this year, we want to put our best foot forward for our youngest cancer patients. This is our way to support the work of our MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers.

Keep it going! Check out our Facebook fundraising tutorial and start fundraising today!

Last year, the "Why I Ride" wall encouraged people to share their inspiration for participating in LOWVELO. Since we can''t be together, we''ve created an online version!

Visit the LOWVELO Why I Ride Kudoboard to share:

 Register

The MUSC Wellness Center invites all LOWVELO participants to join weekly online yoga classes with Gail. Check out this week''s class:

6 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23

75-minute class

We''ll have virtual events scheduled throughout the day. Details coming soon!

Hollings Cancer Center would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and socially distant 4th of July weekend! During the summer months, we are spotlighting our cancer survivors and their stories. We greatly appreciate their efforts to help us raise awareness and inspire hope in others. Clockwise from top left: Jim Devereaux; Mandy Brown; Thom Schmenk; Tammy Grainger.

One of those survivors, Hugh Royer, lost a quarter of his cheek and his nose to basal cell carcinoma, a cancer many people fail to take seriously. Learn more about his cancer journey.

We know there is a lot of COVID-19 information out there, and it can be hard to keep track of the latest developments. In response to the new City of Charleston ordinance, MUSC has updated its Directives to Faculty, Staff and Students for Staying Safe to reflect that mask wearing is now required (not just recommended) as of July 1 in public buildings, including classrooms and conference rooms, even when social distancing is possible. Full details, including reasonable exceptions, can be found at the link above.

For our researchers, be sure to know the guidelines about social distancing and working in shifts, so labs can remain open. If you work in a Hollings lab and need to request that the area be sanitized due to someone in your lab testing positive for COVID-19, please call Mike Garbarini at 843-834-3862 or Donna Berrier at 804-592-7485.

HCC researchers published a study linking high levels of AGEs from processed foods and foods cooked at high temperatures with an increased risk of breast cancer. Healthy eating choices are one way to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The study was led by David Turner, Ph.D., and was part of a larger decade-long prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer screening trial (PLCO) designed and sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.

Ramsay Camp, M.D., is leading a clinical trial to study a new treatment option for pancreatic cancer, the third deadliest cancer in the nation. Camp, who is joining forces with Mark Rubinstein, Ph.D., on this study, said it capitalizes on the innovative immunotherapy research happening in Rubinstein’s lab.

In two of her recent health disparity studies, Hollings researcher Chanita Hughes-Halbert, Ph.D., shows how certain illnesses and diseases have the ability to affect various groups of people in detrimental ways. Both studies were reported online in the medical journal Ethnicity and Disease and are a part of the work being done by the Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center in Precision Medicine and Minority Men’s Health at MUSC.

Joe Delaney, Ph.D., and his research team have been awarded a $50,000 Hollings Cancer Center Idea Award for their research into ovarian cancer.

"Our lab has discovered an unlikely pair of drugs that work together to kill ovarian cancer cells," explains Dr. Delaney. "One drug now in the public spotlight, (hydroxy)chloroquine, was originally designed to prevent malaria. Chloroquine happens to kill ovarian cancer cells by disrupting a recycling system of those cells. The other drug in the pair is an anti-HIV medication, nelfinavir mesylate, which surprisingly kills ovarian cancer by disrupting the recycling system but also by increasing the amount of cellular debris which needs to be recycled."

The research will include experiments using CRISPR-Cas9 to delete one gene at a time to discover which genes enable drug resistance or sensitivity to the drugs. These data will help inform clinical trials which utilize chloroquine or nelfinavir, particularly in the context of ovarian cancer.

Read more about another ovarian cancer study Delaney recently published.

Submit your vote! Voting is accepted until July 22 at 11:59 p.m. 

In case you missed it, we sent out a COVID-19 Precautions newsletter with guidance and information. If you have questions, submit them to covid19@musc.edu.

Thanksgiving may be over, but we can''t help but continue to reflect on how much there is to be grateful for, including:

When 29-year-old Kelly Bulak developed a persistent cough and wheeze in the spring, she figured it was a sinus infection or pneumonia. Instead, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer just a few days before beginning

graduate school.

While lung cancer affects less than one person per 100,000 in her age group in the U.S., Bulak hopes her story will serve as a reminder that cancer can strike anyone at any time. Learn why she''s encouraging others to be proactive about their health if anything seems off.

Researchers from Hollings and two other NCI-designated cancer centers recently discovered a way to speed up the generation of T-cells, which can prolong survival and sometimes cure patients with advanced solid tumors. By cutting down the time needed to manufacture these cells from several months to less than one week, the therapy can be made accessible to a broader range of patients, including those who need treatment right away.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a big clinical challenge because the donor''s T-cells can attack a patient''s organs. Hollings researchers have discovered a way to reduce GVHD while still maintaining T-cells'' ability to fight leukemia.

Thanks to all of the participants and sponsors who helped to make the first virtual LOWVELO a success! Together, our 606 participants logged a grand total of 123,296 miles walking, running and biking to support cancer research at Hollings.

While the event has ended, fundraising will continue through Dec. 14. And be sure to keep an eye on Hollings'' Facebook and Instagram accounts for more details about LOWVELO 2021!

Got news? We have outlets, from our news site to our video boards! We’d love to help promote your latest journal publications, grants, clinical advances and patient stories. Please contact the Hollings communications team to share your news or if you have communication questions.

If you have questions, submit them to covid19@musc.edu.

The faces pictured below not only represent personal success stories, but the ongoing successes of our physicians, researchers, nurses and support staff who have dedicated their careers to improving the lives of all cancer patients.

The holidays can be a period that evokes strong emotions, both happy and sad, and the effects of the pandemic may exacerbate those feelings. Therapist Wendy Balliet, Ph.D., offers her top tips for cancer patients and their caregivers on navigating the holiday season.

We''re shouting a big "congratulations" to Hollings researcher Nancy Klauber-DeMore, M.D., who was recently named as a 2020 fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The program highlights academic inventors around the world who have created or facilitated inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

"As a physician-scientist, my ultimate goal is to take discoveries of novel cancer targets from human tumors all the way to development of a drug to treat the patient''s disease," said Klauber-DeMore. "It is an honor to have this work recognized by NAI."

With a new grant from the National Cancer Institute, Hollings researcher Erin McClure, Ph.D., hopes to gain insight into the prevalence of marijuana use among cancer patients and the beliefs some patients may have about its efficacy in managing their cancer and other medical symptoms.

Got news? We have outlets, from our news site to our video boards! We’d love to help promote your latest journal publications, grants, clinical advances and patient stories. Please contact the Hollings communications team to share your news or if you have questions.

If you have questions, submit them to covid19@musc.edu.

Here, Dr. Raymond N. DuBois talks about what his days raising steers in Texas taught him about seizing opportunities and what his plans are to advance cancer care and research at Hollings. And, below are two opinion pieces you won''t want to miss about the impact of COVID-19 on cancer screenings and care.

Researchers estimate that mammograms, a crucial tool for early detection of breast cancer, have dropped anywhere from 75% to 95% since March 2020. Pandemic-related screening delays could cause an excess of 10,000 deaths over the next 10 years. It’s time to reverse the trend.

Dr. DuBois speaks out about the importance of cancer screenings in this opinion piece in The Cancer Letter and in AACR’s Cancer Prevention Research journal. 

Dr. Jezabel R. Blanco was thrilled to be the recipient of a prestigious national award to fund her pediatric cancer research. Even more special, though, was when she heard who was on the call to tell her about the award. It was breathtaking, she recalls.

Our MUSC Health Blood and Marrow Transplant Program keeps pulling in the awards. The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) reports that the MUSC Health Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program is among the top 10% of transplant centers that have exceeded predicted survival rates and one of only six that have achieved such excellence as a combined adult and pediatric program.

Dr. Michelle Hudspeth, BMT program director, is humbled by the news.

Check out these stories that show how our health care providers and researchers are responding to the need to go high tech given the demands of modern-day society and the pandemic.

The American Association for Cancer Research released its inaugural Cancer Disparities Progress Report: Achieving the Bold Vision of Health Equity for Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Other Underserved Populations. MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researcher Chanita Hughes-Halbert, Ph.D., not only contributed to this first-of-its-kind report as a member of the steering committee, but she was also part of the virtual congressional briefing that unveiled the report to the nation. Check out the findings.

A new volume of health disparities research, coedited by Hollings researcher Marvella Ford, Ph.D., was recently published. Ford hopes the research will lead to better health outcomes for cancer patients, especially those who are disproportionately affected by cancer.

Cancer of the head and neck is one of the deadliest cancers, with African Americans in particular experiencing significant disparities in mortality. A Hollings research team, led by Evan Graboyes, M.D., is studying the barriers that result in treatment delays and is working on ways to help patients overcome these obstacles and improve outcomes.

“The change we saw this year was extraordinary,” said Dr. Kathleen Cartmell, who leads the Hollings HPV initiative. The HPV vaccine, which requires two doses, saw an 8% increase in vaccine initiation and 12% increase in vaccination completion.

“While we saw a similar big jump in our HPV vaccination rates back in 2016, the increase we saw this year is phenomenal, considering that having these big increases many years in a row is what will be needed to get our HPV vaccination rates up to 80%, which is the national goal set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

To our front-line workers and those working behind the scenes as well to make care at Hollings seamless throughout this pandemic.

Betty Jordan (left), one of our Phlebotomy tech-team leads, Shelitta Warren (right) and colleagues make sure patients get their lab work done in a safe and timely fashion. And Jose and Wendy Peréy keep dishing up cheer and good food at the Hollings Café.

If you have questions, submit them to covid19@musc.edu.

Hollings Cancer Center is part of an exciting multinational consortium focused on providing the best care for cancer patients during the pandemic. Already, data it has collected has led to a study published yesterday in The Lancet (and presented at ASCO) that sheds light on how oncologists can provide the best treatment during this time. Dr. Antonio Giordano shares in this Q&A how the registry will have a positive impact on clinical care.

Hollings cancer researchers are joining the fight against COVID-19 in an innovative clinical trial. In cancer treatment, T cells are reprogrammed to kill cancer cells. Our researchers are applying this approach to COVID-19 in a clinical trial to test reprogramming T cells against the virus. The team developing the trial is a strong collaboration between basic and clinical science researchers, led by Besim Ogretmen, Ph.D.

We’ve been celebrating the hard work and dedication of our oncology nurses during May''s Oncology Nursing Month. Check out what an amazing team we have and how our patients have joined in the conversation on Facebook.

A new technique can be used to monitor protein production in T cells and understand how it becomes depressed in the tumor microenvironment. Interventions could then be developed to restore T cells’ protein production and ability to control tumor growth. The team, led by Jessica E. Thaxton, Ph.D., recently reported its findings in a priority brief in Cancer Immunology Research.

Hollings Cancer Center awarded funding to five scientists as part of the center’s fellowship program that is designed to train and support the next generation of cancer researchers who are making important advances in the field.

The first Hollings LOWVELO graduate fellow is Timothy Samec, a cancer survivor and Clemson researcher who is excited about the multidisciplinary science MUSC and Clemson will be doing together.

Nancy DeMore, M.D., recently was named a senior HCC clinical scholar. The HCC Clinical Scholar program helps physician-scientists balance their interconnected roles of healer, teacher, and investigator by providing them 20% protected time for research. Dr. DeMore’s research will focus on improvement of check-point inhibitor efficacy in metastatic osteosarcoma with anti-SFRP2 therapy.

Check out this recent podcast (scroll down to segment 7) with Dr. Marvella Ford, associate director of the Population Science and Cancer Disparities program at Hollings Cancer Center, as she discusses unequal access to health care during this pandemic.

In case you missed it, here''s our announcement about the appointment of Shikhar Mehrotra, Ph.D., and Sophie Paczesny, M.D., Ph.D., as the new co-leaders of Hollings Cancer Center''s Cancer Immunology program. The announcement also recently appeared in The Cancer Letter (scroll to the bottom).

There will be restricted parking areas for valet and patients beginning June 1. Employees who may be parking in those areas need to make alternate plans as those lots will no longer be available. Shuttles from the Hagood parking area will not be operational by June 1. Stay tuned as more details develop.

Thank you for helping keep our patients safe! We appreciate employees using the side entrances (garden or loading dock) to reduce the traffic flow through our front entrance, which is reserved for patients.

Hollings’ communications team coordinates news on our web pages, video boards and social media channels as well as EurekAlert!, a news channel for more than 17,000 science journalists nationwide. Since February, the seven cancer stories that we have posted on that channel have had more than 30,000 page views. We appreciate all the great things happening in our clinics and labs. Please contact us with your news and story ideas.

Hollings Cancer Center has two events listed for The Post & Courier''s Charleston’s Choice Awards. The inaugural LOWVELO, a fundraising bike ride across the Lowcountry, raised nearly $1 million to support cancer research. The 12th annual Gourmet and Grapes at The Sanctuary raised over $1 million for cancer research, patient support, and funding for a new mobile health unit. We would greatly appreciate your nominations in the following categories:

Lowcountry Favorites > Outdoor Event > LOWVELO

Lowcountry Favorites > Foodie Event > Gourmet & Grapes

To nominate our events, visit the Lowcountry Favorites page, and in the Lowcountry Favorites menu in the left hand column, scroll down and click on the Outdoor Event category and the Foodie Event category, then select our event.

Nominations are being accepted through June 14, then you can vote through June 26. Thank you!

If you have questions, submit them to covid19@musc.edu.

Therapist Wendy Balliet, Ph.D. offers these tips to help shield you from COVID-19 stress.

Special thanks to Katie Fox, a mother of two advocating for parents to learn about the importance of the HPV vaccine. Fox joined the HPV Parent Ambassador Program offered by Hollings Cancer Center as part of its statewide HPV initiative. 

If you have questions, submit them to covid19@musc.edu.

From left, Mallie Link, R.N., Rachel Burriss, R.N., and Carrie Wilcox, R.N.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the nurses both at Hollings and in the bone marrow transplant unit at Ashley River Tower,” Hagood said. “The oncology nurses are the most compassionate, caring, skilled and committed professionals that I have ever experienced, and all I can say is, thank you. You helped save my life!"

It''s a sentiment that many are echoing in May during Oncology Nursing Month as these nurses are celebrated for their hard work and dedication. They share here what inspired them to this special calling.

From left, Jami Miller, R.N., Ashton Davison, R.N., and Julia Potts, R.N.

Our nurses are getting lots of love on Facebook! Share stories about your favorite nurses with us on Facebook and Instagram using #OncologyNursingMonth

Facebook: @MUSCHollings

Instagram: @HollingsCancerCenter

Twitter: @muschollings

See more pictures of our amazing Hollings Cancer Center oncology nurses in this Oncology Nursing Month Facebook gallery!

We''re on our way to "ghost" busting through the 31 in 31 Challenge! We set a challenge to raise $31,710 in 31 days, and since Oct. 1, we''ve raised $16,158 toward this goal. And if every participant raises at least $31 by Oct. 31, we''ll surpass this month''s goal!

Don''t get spooked by fundraising! If you have a Facebook account, let Facebook do the work for you. Set up your fundraising page for MUSC Foundation, edit the title to say LOWVELO for cancer research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, invite your friends and watch your donations come in! Learn how!

Even though fundraising is optional this year, we still encourage everyone to raise critically needed dollars for lifesaving cancer research. Unfortunately, cancer diagnoses continue, and research is how we are changing what''s possible in cancer care!

If you need a little more encouragement, everyone who raises $31 by Oct. 31 will be entered in a drawing for surprise... BOO! Check out these incentives for dollars raised by Dec. 14:

$100 – Special social media recognition.

$250 – Special social media recognition.

$500 to $4,999 – FREE LOWVELO21 registration! Special LOWVELO swag, special social media recognition and Hollings Cancer Center video screen recognition.

$5,000 – High Roller Club initiation, FREE LOWVELO21 Registration, special LOWVELO swag, special social media recognition and Hollings Cancer Center video screen recognition.

And if you still haven''t registered for virtual LOWVELO, remember:

Registration is free or $25 to get our 2020 LOWVELO T-shirt. We''ll make it even more fun! Everyone who registers between Tuesday, Oct. 6, and Monday, Oct. 12, will be entered in a drawing for a LOWVELO blanket to warm up with after your cool weather strolls.

We''re "monster" mashing through our mileage goal of 31,710 miles in 31 days! So far, we''ve logged 27,208 miles!

Have you picked out your costume? The LOWVELO costume contest is approaching. From Oct. 24 through Oct. 31, we want to see how silly you can be! Start planning your haunted bike ride or ghoulish gait. Prizes await!

According to two large studies focused on firefighters and cancer completed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters face a nine percent increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14 percent increase in cancer-related deaths, compared to the general United States population. That''s why LOWVELO made perfect sense for peloton captain, Pete Gray, and his team to particpate as they wanted to focus on a cause that is fiercely important to their group — cancer. Check out the Isle of Palms Professional Firefighters Association''s commitment to cancer research.

Get your LOWVELO ball cap to complete the signature skyline look! IREPCHS designed these especially for LOWVELO. We''re thrilled to add that 15% of sales will be donated to MUSC Hollings Cancer Center for cancer research. Order yours today!

Remember to visit the LOWVELO Why I Ride board to share: