Congratulations to Hollings researchers Drs. Peggi Angel, Richard Drake (pictured above) and Anand Mehta for the development of a technology that can detect early-stage liver cancer at double the rate obtained with current standard diagnostic tools.

A new seed investment from Bruker Corporation, a company that manufactures scientific instruments and diagnostic solutions, will help the researchers to further develop, validate and commercialize the technology, which is known as GlycoTyper. The researchers hope this support will aid them in bringing the test to market for the benefit of patients within the next few years.

GlycoTyper is a patent-pending technology developed at MUSC and is licensed by GlycoPath Inc. from the MUSC Foundation for Research Development.

Hollings earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, recognizing the center’s commitment to providing the best possible care for patients with the disease.

Says Dr. Virgilio George: “This accreditation means that we provide benefits to our patients through decreased local recurrence and increased survival. Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to develop in one place a treatment plan that includes medical oncology, radiation and surgery.”

More than 60% of U.S. adults who vape are interested in quitting, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open by Hollings researchers.

“One of the best things you can do for your health is to stop smoking. While e-cigarettes may work for some people, they’re hindering quit attempts for other people,” said Amanda Palmer, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in MUSC’s Department of Public Health Sciences and the study’s first author.

Trial to compare radiation therapies for treating prostate cancer

Hollings is enrolling patients in a national clinical trial to help to determine the best, most cost-effective approach for treating prostate cancer through radiation therapy. The trial, known as the COMPPARE study, will compare the quality of life, side effects and cure rates for prostate cancer patients who are treated with one of two radiation types: proton therapy or photon therapy.

According to David Marshall, M.D., a radiation oncologist and principal investigator for Hollings’ portion of the study: “Around 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the United States, and somewhere between 15% and 20% of those patients will eventually die of their disease. We're going to learn a lot from this trial that can help us continue to improve outcomes for these men going forward.”

We’re so proud of our Hollings board member and donor, Cokie Cox, who is climbing Mount Everest right now and raising money for Hollings at the same time with her Everyday Everest campaign. See where she is on the journey and how you can help support her and Hollings' cancer prevention and community outreach efforts.

LOWVELO is off to a great start with more than 270 people registered to participate in the Nov. 6 event that raises money for cancer research. People can participate virtually or sign up for one of four routes or stationary bike classes. The reasons people ride are many, but the cause remains the same: 100% of rider-raised dollars support lifesaving cancer research at Hollings. See what these riders say and check out the full video below.

"I've considered my entire life committed to making a difference in terms of cancer care. This is something that gives and enables and raises awareness to continue to make that difference. I'm proud of this event, I'm proud of the communities gathering. Why I ride is to make a difference in future cancer patients' lives."

"I am riding for my children because they needed their mother to survive, but I'm also riding for everyone out there who hasn't yet been diagnosed. My cancer apparently had been growing for 20 years, so there are people that don't know yet that they have cancer."

"I'm riding for a number of people in my family. My dad had cancer when I was very young and also when I was in high school and that's one of the reasons why I went into cancer research. Also for my father-in-law who died of lung cancer and my mother-in-law who has breast cancer."

Hollings Researcher

Several repair and renovation projects to Hollings continue to impact access to the center's Pearlstine Healing Garden. Please be aware that the garden and its adjacent building entrances are closed.

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