Charlotte-area resident Vickie Johnson, 72, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018 after seeking care twice for abdominal pain.

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In January 2024, Duke University launched a celebration of its centennial — a historic opportunity to recognize Duke’s extraordinary past, communicate the impact of the present, and look toward Duke's potential impact going forward.

Connor McMahon was treated at a children’s hospital in Atlanta for leukemia, first at three years old, then eight years later when he was 12. When he relapsed again at 15, he traveled to Duke for a clinical trial of a first-of-its kind treatment.

In December 2023 and January 2024 Duke Cancer Institute senior leaders surprised three deserving recipients with the coveted DCI Superstar Award in recognition of their achievements and exceptional service in going above and beyond in their work.

Ann Marie Pendergast, PhD, has received a two-year $150,000 Lung Cancer Research Foundation grant to continue her laboratory work “uncovering novel vulnerabilities to treat small cell lung cancer therapy resistance.”

Li Lan, MD, PhD, researches how cancer cells respond to DNA damage through DNA repair mechanisms. The major focus of her lab — previously situated at The Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Mass General Cancer Center — is drug development.

Brent Hanks, MD, PhD, is working to develop new pharmacologic and genetic strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance and investigating the mechanisms that contribute to some immunotherapy-associated toxicities.

Six of the thirty Duke University researchers named to the 2023 Clarivate list of highly cited researchers are Duke Cancer Institute members. To make the cut, a published paper has to be ranked in the top 1% for its field for the last decade.

"Thank you to our phenomenal breast surgery team and Duke Surgical Oncology for coming out in full force to support the inaugural Pickle for Pink event! See you back on the courts next year!" said Maggie DiNome, MD.

The annual community fundraiser for blood cancer research and awareness celebrated, honored, and remembered those touched by blood cancers. The evening festivities included DCI's traditional "Glam Station," inc. a photo booth and DCI giveaways.

On Tuesday, Oct. 17, DCI's Valarie Worthy, MSN, RN, and Steven Patierno, PhD, will participate in the first of a series of in-person meetings of the President’s Cancer Panel in New Orleans.

DCI's multi-disciplinary Breast Cancer Program convened another successful free community symposium on breast health and breast cancer, which included interactive info sessions, Q & A panels with DCI experts, and educational booths.

A two-day event celebrating the career of Robert Lefkowitz will include scientific presentations from seven Nobel Laureates as well as other eminent scientists.

Another CRUSH Colorectal Cancer 5K event is in the books. The popular local event, hosted by the Duke Cancer Institute GI Oncology multidisciplinary program, featured a run/walk through the historic Watts Hospital-Hillandale neighborhood.

Community members, including cancer survivors and caregivers, learned about the latest clinical advances in treating kidney, prostate, and bladder cancers. In addition, the 50-year career of urologist William Berry, MD, was honored.

Mary Jo Turk, PhD, co-director of the Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Program, Norris-Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, presents “Identifying precursors of resident memory T cells in cancer.”

The 2023 Gail Parkins Memorial Ovarian Cancer Walk & 5K marked its 21st year raising awareness, paying tribute to those touched by ovarian cancer, and supporting ovarian cancer research at DCI.

The White House Cancer Moonshot program announced its support for and commitment to several new projects to "end cancer as we know it," including a new initiative led by TOUCH, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance (co-founded by Valarie Worthy, RN).

The Cooperative Human Tissue Network (of which DCI is a member) was created by the NCI in 1987 to support a coordinated national effort to collect and distribute high-quality, pathologist-validated human tissues for cancer research.