Hollings Headlines // October 2022

Two-time cancer survivor celebrates life

Danielle Lee has been through it – first leukemia, then triple-negative breast cancer. 

She says that her family, her friends, her hair salon clientele and staff, her prayer army and her doctors and nurses at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have been instrumental in her recovery.

“I’m definitely a walking miracle – for sure,” she says. 

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we celebrate breast cancer survivors throughout South Carolina. We have stories from survivors, physical therapy exercises for after surgery and the latest research in the lab. And a message of hope from Danielle:

“The biggest advice I would tell somebody else going through breast cancer is to not give up hope and to not give up your faith because there is light at the end of the tunnel there,” she says. “There are days that you’re going to think there is no light, and there are days that you’re going to want to give up. But you’ve got to remember all the things that you’re fighting for.

“And when you can look back and say, ‘Dang, that’s what I’ve come through?’ I mean, that just gives you chills within itself. To know that you conquered this and you’re a survivor – that’s huge.”

Breast cancer survivor Aleasa Barry and researcher Dr. Peggi Angel talk with Dr. Andrea Abbott about breast cancer and the latest research in this month's Hollings Cross Talk. 

Catch the episode at 6 p.m. Oct. 20 on Facebook, or watch for it on our website or YouTube. 

Ditch the colonoscopy? Not so fast!

A new report about the effectiveness of colonoscopies has people talking – but wait just a minute before you cancel your appointment.

Hollings experts say the report needs careful interpretation – and, despite some headlines to the contrary, it does show that colonoscopies are effective in preventing and catching colon cancer.

More than ever, Hollings experts are stressing the importance of colon cancer screening, beginning at age 45. 

“There has been a significant uptick in the diagnosis of colon cancer in younger patients over the past decade, so we want to start screening at 45 to pick those up as soon as we possibly can,” says Hollings director Dr. Raymond DuBois.

High-risk, high-reward

Congratulations to Dr. Joe Delaney (right) for being one of just 72 researchers across the country to be awarded an NIH director's New Innovator Award.

Delaney will use the award to investigate aneuploidy (having an abnormal number of chromosomes) in ovarian cancer. 

“Since aneuploid events in cancer alter hundreds of genes, it is very challenging to see which genes are causing cancer. Past cancer research has shown a lot of associations but not direct causations. Now we have a chance to hopefully establish clear genetic causation for a subset of ovarian cancers,” he says. 

ABC News 4 anchor gets tested for cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Colonoscopy: A powerful tool for cancer prevention

Breast cancer patient forms friendship with MUSC clinical trials coordinator

MUSC expands breast screening services into West Ashley

Oct. 20 - Head and Neck Cancer Support Group

Meet with other head and neck cancer patients and caregivers in a supportive environment. This group meets in a hybrid format; you may join online or in person. The Head and Neck Cancer Support Group meets 5:30–6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month. To attend online, register on Zoom. To attend in person in room 121 of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, RSVP to [email protected]. 

Oct. 22 - Ride with Ray!

Get in a LOWVELO training ride with Hollings director Ray DuBois. Meet at Sunrise Presbyterian for a 10-mile ride on Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island at a casual pace. 9 a.m. 

Nov. 10 - In Our DNA 1st year celebration

In Our DNA SC research staff will be on the Medical District Greenway from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Please drop by throughout the day and say hello and learn about the project. 

9 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Coffee and Chick-fil-A Chat with Dr. Dan Judge

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Arts in Healing Music, Urban Farm, and Boiled Peanuts

Additional highlights include: Resources from community partners, In Our DNA SC Annual Report, CiderHouse Pie Shop, Bottleneck Coffee Cart, Carribbean Fresh, Gorditas Locas, Roti Rolls, Hero Doughnuts & Buns.

Please contact [email protected] or 843-876-0582 with any questions.

Are you an in-hospital care provider? A Ph.D. student in the MUSC College of Nursing asks you to fill out a survey for her study on barriers and facilitators to effective communication with adults with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Questions? Contact Kate Shady at [email protected].