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 29 years. Before my diagnosis, I would work six, seven days a week; that was normal to me,” says the Houston-area trial lawyer and commercial litigator.
Jim started having some unusual symptoms in April 2022: his right leg would move involuntarily. He blamed it on exhaustion and stress...

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...
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 200-meter breaststroke. He’s been a successful entrepreneur with an athletic lifestyle ever since then.
But in 2022, he started feeling unwell. “I had bad fatigue, I lost the desire to work out, I felt very tired and overwhelmed,” he recalls. He noticed a ringing in his left ear – tinnitus...

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...
What is music medicine?
You don’t have to be a music lover to benefit from music’s healing impact. Studies have found that just 30 minutes of listening to relaxing...
Brain mass survivor on MD Anderson: ‘You’re in the best hands'
“I never dreamed that I would have a mass in my skull,” says Curry Kennerly.
Today, the father and grandfather who inspects new construction...