UT MD Anderson saves adventurous chordoma survivor
By 2023, Woody Eturralde had been experiencing back pain on and off for many years. Doctors near his home in Georgia chalked it up to his active lifestyle. He regularly enjoyed running, skydiving and riding a motorcycle, after all.
Woody visited surgeons and specialists, but X-ray imaging showed nothing concerning. Since he was in his 70s, he assumed the pain was part of getting older. He managed it with injections and over-the-counter...
Mother with metastatic breast cancer finds hope in clinical trial
Tiffany Andrews believes in facing a challenge head on.
“We don’t avoid things because they are hard,” she tells her children...
Astrocytoma survivor gives back to MD Anderson
Jim Bartlett, now 57, was a self-described workaholic before his brain tumor diagnosis in 2022.
“I’ve been practicing for almost...
Plumbing the depths of the brain: How a neurosurgeon approaches brain cancer treatment
Neurosurgeon Christopher Young, M.D., Ph.D., has always been interested in exploring new frontiers in medicine. With dreams of specializing in expedition and high-altitude medicine, he once led a two-month trip in Sulawesi, a remote area between the ocean and the mountains in Indonesia. Today, he’s forging new paths in cancer care at MD Anderson.
This surgeon-scientist specializes in endovascular care: using the blood vessels to...
Chordoma survivor: 'Put your faith in the doctors'
“I was very lucky to go to MD Anderson,” says Chuck Schlesinger.
In early 2015, Chuck was playing tennis when he felt a sharp pain...
Olympic swimmer with acoustic neuroma finds connection and healing at MD Anderson
Clark Burckle Jr., now 36 years old, is no stranger to adversity. Clark represented the United States in the 2012 Olympics, competing in the...
Multiple myeloma and spine cancer survivor: ‘Always think about a second opinion’
In 2022, Emily Shults, then 47, had recently moved to Magnolia, Texas, from California, to be closer to family. During the move, she remembers...
Metastatic breast and spine cancer survivor: ‘I’m living into the cure’
“I have an illness, not a terminal diagnosis,” says Lisa Ordmandy. Despite her metastatic breast cancer diagnosis, Lisa remains optimistic...
Young adult astrocytoma survivor grateful for MD Anderson's expertise
“Other doctors felt they could not operate,” says Sean O’Brien, an astrocytoma survivor. But MD Anderson neurosurgeon Frederick Lang, M.D....
What is astrocytoma, and how is it different from glioblastoma?
Astrocytoma and glioblastoma are two types of brain tumors. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) changed how these tumors are classified...