You may have heard someone with multiple myeloma mention the possibility of BCMA-targeted therapy and wondered what BCMA means and why it is relevant in cancer treatments.
For answers to these questions and more, we spoke to Hans Lee, M.D., director of multiple myeloma clinical research at MD Anderson.
What is BCMA?BCMA stands for B cell maturation antigen, and it's emerged as an important target in multiple myeloma...
Hagop Kantarjian, M.D., isn’t just the head of Leukemia at MD Anderson; he’s also a prolific artist.
Since 1992, the leukemia specialist...
Sarcoma describes a broad group of cancers that originate in the bones and soft or connective tissues, forming in the blood vessels, nerves...
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new drug or treatment to make sure that it is safe and effective for patients.
“Clinical trials are essential to be able to identify better treatments for patients with all tumor types,” says Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., chair of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics. “It’s also an opportunity for patients to access otherwise unavailable treatments and to contribute to better...
Since the discovery of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), a family of proteins vital in the early stages of cell development, scientists have...
In January 2020, Bart Wilson had a colonoscopy after complaining of lower abdominal pain and blood in his stool. Sensing something was wrong...
Tim Leary still remembers the shock he felt after he was diagnosed with two cancers in two years – prostate cancer and pancreatic adenocarcinoma...
If you’ve never had a colonoscopy before, you might have some questions about anesthesia.
Is there more than one option, for...
Cancer is no stranger to Robyn Heid’s family. Robyn, the youngest of 10 children, lost a brother in 1992 to lymphoma and her father to prostate...
Finding out you have cancer can be hard enough. Telling your family, friends and employer that you have cancer can add another layer of stress...
I was diagnosed with an extremely rare myeloproliferative disorder called Rosai-Dorfman disease in 2014. It’s not fatal, but it does cause...
Scott Brenneman embodies a spirit of endurance in every aspect of his life.
He is a corporate attorney focused on security and risk...
On a Saturday in late February, Hussein Abbas, M.D., Ph.D., celebrated becoming a U.S. citizen. It was nearly two decades in the making and...
Most colonoscopies end with a gastroenterologist saying to come back in 10 years for another colorectal cancer screening, a woozy ride home...
Pelvic organ prolapse — or the intrusion of nearby organs into the vaginal canal — is a condition that occurs most often as a side effect...
Throughout cancer treatment, patients may undergo anesthesia for a variety of reasons. Surgery may be the most obvious, but patients may also...
When I started immunotherapy for mesothelioma at MD Anderson last year, I wasn’t concerned about colitis as a possible side effect. I was...
By the time I got to MD Anderson in early 2011, I was very, very sick. I’d been diagnosed with a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called B cell...
Xerostomia is the scientific term for a chronically dry mouth. Though it might not seem like that big of a deal, dry mouth is actually a very...
A breast cancer diagnosis is not the end of the world, though it can certainly feel like it at the time. And I know, because I’ve been there...
Squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs is a type of non-small-cell cancer that originates in the thin, flat cells lining the airways. About...
Pituitary tumors grow in the pituitary gland, the pea-sized structure just behind the eyes at the base of the brain. These tumors are almost...
Cancer of the salivary gland is not very common. Only about 2,500 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year.
So, how do you...
Learning that your child has cancer is never easy — no matter how old your child might be. But in some ways, managing their care can be simpler...
On Feb. 6, 2020, I was diagnosed with stage IIIc ovarian cancer. The abruptness of it all was shocking. In an instant, I was snatched from...
Sam Gee was preparing for a wrestling tournament his freshman year of high school when a referee pointed out a suspicious spot on his back...
Arlene Holden’s family knows all too well that cancer touches everyone. Over the past two decades, Arlene’s daughters, Gayle Kuoni and Lerryn...
Current screening guidelines suggest that everyone should get their first colonoscopy at age 45 if they are at average risk for colon cancer...
A woman could have her fallopian tubes removed for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it’s necessary to treat an ectopic pregnancy or to resolve...
In December 2021, Luke Miller went to the emergency room because of pain in his side. An ultrasound revealed a small spot on his liver. Two...
If you know someone going through cancer treatment, you might feel eager to help, but not quite sure what to do.
Should you offer them...
As a member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors (BOV), Vijay Goradia has been a long-time supporter of MD Anderson. But in...
If you’ve never heard of a fecal microbiota transplant before, the concept might seem a bit startling at first.
But transferring...
After a Mardi Gras parade in February 2019, Taylor Fradella-Doucet noticed some soreness in her thigh, but she chalked it up to evidence of...
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been an amazing advance for treating blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and multiple...
Liver cancer is one of the most quickly increasing types of cancer in the United States due to a poor lifestyle causing obesity, diabetes,...
Our cells can die in many ways, one of which is ferroptosis. Recent studies reveal that ferroptosis plays a significant role in tumor suppression...
Single-cell sequencing transformed our ability to study cells individually and with much higher resolution, giving us a clearer picture of...
Tertiary lymphoid structures are highly organized clusters of immune cells that form in non-lymphoid tissues. They’re often found at sites...
Pets can provide emotional support, companionship and stress relief during cancer treatment. But cancer patients should exercise caution when...
You may already know that people tend to feel loved best when friends and family show affection in the ways that they find the most meaningful...
I’ve been diagnosed with six different cancers over the last 50 years: testicular, prostate, leukemia, bladder, pancreatic and kidney. All...
Neurofibromatosis is a collection of three different genetic disorders that cause fibrous tumors to form around nerves in the body. Neurofibromatosis...
Oral thrush is a fungal infection of the mouth often caused by an overgrowth of Candida albicans. But why do people receiving cancer treatment...
My husband, Donald, and I had been dating for less than a year in June 2010, when he was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin...
When Josephine Spence experienced a sudden, agonizing pain in her right calf, her husband and daughter urged her to go to the hospital right...
When I first joined the faculty at MD Anderson in 2012, I didn’t really intend to stay, even though I was one of only two diabetes specialists...
When you act as the caregiver for a cancer patient, it’s easy to let your own needs take a back seat sometimes. After all, they are the sick...
From 2013 to 2015, Mike Headley and his wife, Betty, kicked off their retirement by traveling to 30 states in their RV. When the couple returned...
Jordan Rance was only 11 years old when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2005.
“I didn’t have any symptoms,” she says. “I got...
My son Benjamin was born weighing only 3 pounds. He stayed in the NICU for seven months. It was challenging and financially draining....
B cells are an important part of the immune system. One of their jobs is to neutralize the threat from a foreign invader known as a pathogen...
Redness or another change in the skin color of the breast, swelling on one side and/or a rash that appears quickly — sometimes literally overnight...
Overcoming cancer or completing treatment can make many survivors feel like they’re on top of the world. But there’s another very real, raw...
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), roughly 6 in every 10 adults live with some form of chronic illness. Many are severe enough...
There are four main types of thyroid cells: follicular, papillary, medullary and Hurthle. While they’re all different, each of these cells...
What does it mean when your cancer has spread? Many patients given a cancer diagnosis of metastatic cancer or stage IV cancer do not know...
I’ve been in treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma for more than 30 years. Since I was first diagnosed in 1992, I’ve had radiation therapy, a...
The symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the symptoms of bladder cancer can be very similar. Both may involve pain while urinating...
You’ve probably heard that a colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening and prevention. But you may still have questions...
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck. It’s responsible for the hormones that control your heart rate, blood...
When a patient receives a cancer diagnosis, one of the things their doctor might refer to is whether their cancer has microsatellite instability...
One reason ovarian cancer often comes with a poor prognosis is that the disease is not usually diagnosed until it’s already in the latter...
Taking care of myself is selfish.
All of the support available is for patients.
Nobody really understands what I'm going through...
Nearly eight years ago, I was undergoing surgery at MD Anderson to remove a low-grade brain tumor. My treatment lasted about 18 months. Although...
My son, Dan Hund, was everything a parent could ever want: a good student, a state high school football champion, a college graduate with...
When Regina Gibbs began having nasal congestion and a sore throat in late 2020, she assumed she’d caught COVID-19. The symptoms were similar...
Cervical cancer can be detected with a Pap test. Breast cancer can be detected with mammograms and clinical breast exams. But ovarian cancer...
It’s normal to feel a bit nervous after a colon cancer diagnosis. Questions about treatment options, lifestyle changes and life expectancy...
In the fall of 2020, Bill Middelthon felt something like a canker sore in his mouth. Normally, canker sores heal on their own in about 2 to...
Looking at his career, it might seem like Hussein Tawbi, M.D., Ph.D., was destined to become one of the founding leaders of MD...
If you’ve been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, you might have questions. For instance, is DCIS the same thing as stage 0...
Navigating life with a food allergy is often a challenge on its own. Throw in a cancer diagnosis on top of it, and nourishing yourself properly...
In November 2020, I returned to work after spending years at home with my then 6-year-old daughter. I started noticing irregular vaginal bleeding...
If you need an oophorectomy as a part of your ovarian cancer treatment, you probably have some questions.
How much of your internal...
Nolan Maxie, 84, has been motivating those around him to donate blood for nearly six decades. His dedication to helping others through blood...
Being part of a community doesn’t have to mean conforming to others. I’ve found my community at MD Anderson. We celebrate our differences...
You may already know that it’s important to wash your hands, wear a face mask and avoid sick people while neutropenic.
But is there...
The palate — or roof of the mouth — consists of two sections. The soft area toward the back of the mouth is considered a part of the throat...
You may already know that MRIs and CT scans are two of the imaging methods doctors use to diagnose and stage cancer.
But do you...
Body changes are a normal, expected part of pregnancy for most women. In addition to a growing belly, you can also experience changes to your...
If you shop online or use social media at all, you’ve probably seen at least one advertisement recently for topical magnesium sprays or transdermal...
By the autumn of 2017, I’d been working as a grant program manager in the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology on the research...
I’m taking medication.
I just got over the flu.
I have a chronic health condition.
These are three common reasons...
Before I was diagnosed with stage IV salivary gland cancer at age 65, I’d thought of MD Anderson as a place where only people with serious...
When Ben Gadot’s brain tumor symptoms began in 2013, he was just 3 months old. The first sign was a visual change in his eyes. &...
Like hundreds of thousands of starlings aloft in the sky flying together to create a mass that swoops and dips in unison until the swarm of...
With the single spark of an idea, MD Anderson’s researchers – some of the best and brightest minds in the field – have the freedom and support...
Before moving to Hong Kong with my husband for his job in 2004, I was an ER and neurosurgery nurse in the Texas Medical Center. I really liked...
Courtney Holladay’s connection to MD Anderson’s mission began at age 4 when she learned her mom had ovarian cancer. “I don’t remember much...
CAR T cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy used to treat lymphoma, multiple myeloma and some forms of leukemia. The treatment modifies...
If you need radiation therapy as a part of your breast cancer treatment, you may have questions about side effects.
What are the most...
Doyle Bosque always felt called to become a nurse. But early in his career, he questioned that decision.
“Some days can be especially...
After losing her mother and six of her 15 siblings to cancer, everything Marvetta Walker does as executive director for Projects and Operations...
Rappelling up a rock-climbing wall was Akilah Lopez’s greatest challenge at MD Anderson’s Camp Family Fun Day in August 2022.
“They...
For Benjamin Schrank, M.D., Ph.D., personalized medicine is about more than tailoring treatment.
Schrank, a resident physician...
Rectal cancer can impact many of the body’s most basic functions. So, it’s important to find a surgeon who understands the balance between...
A new COVID-19 subvariant called XBB1.5 is on the rise across the U.S.
Early reports indicate that it is much more contagious...
Coming from a long line of educators all the way back to her great-grandmother, Toysha Mayer, D.H.Sc., swore she’d choose a different career...
Gum disease is far more common than any type of gum cancer.
But how do you know if you have gingivitis, periodontitis or cancer...
Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D., always has been a “people person.” Her love of her patients and her colleagues has fueled her work in both...
MD Anderson serves patients from across the globe while making its home in one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States....
Surgery is a common part of colon cancer treatment. Just about every patient diagnosed with stage I-III colon cancer will have surgery at...
If you’re receiving chemotherapy as a part of your cancer treatment, you’ve probably already learned a few tricks to make the experience easier...
Like most college seniors, graduation, starting a career and making a mark on the world are top of mind for Saloni Cholia. An ecology and...