The Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis Patient and Family Symposium will be held virtually Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon. The symposium is free and open to people affected by neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis, as well as their families, loved ones and caregivers.

Neurofibromatosis (NF) and schwannomatosis are genetic disorders that predispose patients to develop tumors of the nervous system. NF1, the most common form of neurofibromatosis, affects approximately 1 in 2,500 births. Tumors associated with these conditions can occur throughout the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Most are benign, although a small number can become cancerous.

Alex Mohler, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology in the Division of Neuro-Oncology and Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Neurofibromatosis Clinic is the symposium chair.

“Until recently, we have had very few options for managing the challenges associated with these conditions,” Mohler said. “Our annual symposium brings the latest information directly to patients and families in our region who are affected by NF and schwannomatosis.”

Participants will receive updates on current treatment options, clinical programs and research initiatives available through Vanderbilt-Ingram. The event will highlight support services available for adults and children living with NF and schwannomatosis. Attendees will also learn about resources available through Vanderbilt Health partners NF Tennessee and the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Click here to register.

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Jason Colee, a husband and father of two from Alabama, runs because it refreshes him physically and mentally. In the last three years alone, he has run (and won) multiple 5Ks, several 10Ks, three half-marathons, a 16.2-mile challenge in the Great Smoky Mountains, and even a full marathon.

Notably, just before all these achievements, he underwent a six-hour spine surgery at Vanderbilt University Hospital to remove a rare tumorous mass that was nestled inside his spinal cord.

Colee first noticed problems with his gait, was seen by his orthopedist and tried physical therapy. But after being diagnosed with a myxopapillary ependymoma, Colee’s doctors in Huntsville told him he needed to be seen by the best spine specialists there were.

“Fortunately, we live in North Alabama, and we know Vanderbilt’s got a stellar reputation,” said Colee.

He asked his doctor how soon he should be seen at Vanderbilt Health. “You need to be in there immediately,” was the doctor’s reply.

High risk, high reward

The following week, Colee and his wife, Jennifer, traveled to Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Belle Meade. He was quickly matched with Scott Zuckerman, MD, MPH, who Colee’s referring physician said would be the best neurosurgeon to handle his case.

“We took it day by day,” said Zuckerman. “We told him it’s a big, high-risk surgery. I couldn’t make any promises about what type of tumor it was or how tightly it was stuck to his spinal cord, but I think he had come to terms with that.”

Colee was admittedly very nervous. But in undergoing the surgery, he gave himself the best shot to preserve his ability to walk, which mattered for two reasons: his love of running and his family.

“There’s a chance that, at some point, you’re going to walk your daughter down the aisle and be there for your grandkids someday, hopefully,” Colee recalled his wife saying. “We’ve got to do this.”

Colee said the “we” mentality Jennifer emphasized helped restore his confidence that the surgery was the right course of action. He credited Jennifer’s resilience and the shared Christian faith of the family — which includes daughter, Emma, and son, Jake — for his ability to withstand the emotional impact of the ordeal.

“The risks were high, but the rewards were high also,” Colee said.

Nervous about his nervous system, Colee found his care team rose to the occasion

It makes sense that someone headed to anesthesia for spine surgery would be uneasy. Colee’s worry remained despite what he called excellent preoperative care. That’s when Zuckerman came to speak to him.

“This is the A-team,” Zuckerman told Colee. “Everybody you see in this room is the best at what they do.”

On one hand, getting the best of the best may signal that this is as serious as it gets. But on the other, it’s the ultimate assurance that a patient has found the right surgical team.

“The operating room is a serious, focused environment,” Zuckerman said. “But we go into any complex surgery with a really good plan, just like a coach would go into a basketball game with a focused game plan.”

Colee said he never fully conquered his nerves before the surgery.

“Vanderbilt is first-rate,” Colee said. “The process of getting there and everything they did to get me back and ready to go was top-notch; unlike anything we’d ever experienced. It was fantastic.”

Finally, thanks to the anesthesia, his worries subsided as he slipped into sleep. When he awoke, with the tumor out of his spine, he was hit with a wave of relief. Motor function testing showed that everything came back clear.

“I shouldn’t be this excited about being able to wiggle my dang toes,” Colee said. “I guess the gravity of it all hit me after the fact.”

Life after a spinal tumor was just as fulfilling as before

Colee was grateful that his rehabilitation care team wanted input on how he wanted to attack recovery.

“‘We’ve got guidelines we want you to follow and milestones we want you to hit, and it’s up to you how fast you hit those,’” Colee recalled being told. “The nurses let me do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it as long as it was safe.”

In the end, Colee left the hospital only 48 hours after the conclusion of surgery, a remarkable outcome for a spinal operation.

Soon, Colee wondered when he could get back to running. Zuckerman said if he followed his recovery plan to the letter, it wouldn’t be long.

All told, it ended up only being a six-week hiatus before he put his running shoes on again. It was ugly, Colee said, “like a frog in a frying pan,” but he was moving.

Then came the 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons, 16.2-mile race and a full marathon this past spring.

But the most important thing Colee did with his legs didn’t come on the racecourse. It was, as his wife had foreseen, walking his daughter down the aisle.

“Everybody at Vanderbilt was invested in us getting back to where we wanted to be,” Colee said. “This was not guaranteed, even with the surgery. But I knew that Dr. Zuckerman and everybody involved in the process wanted to help me do what I wanted to, whether it was walking my daughter down the aisle or checking a marathon off the bucket list.”

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Nearly two decades ago, after being diagnosed with leukemia at age 7, Lily Hensiek promised to help other children diagnosed with cancer.

At the time, doctors at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt explained her diagnosis through a simple analogy. Cancer was like weeds taking over a garden, they told her, and chemotherapy was the tool used to remove them. The idea inspired her family to create the Lily’s Garden Fund, a fundraising effort dedicated to advancing childhood cancer research, training and innovation.

Over the past 18 years, Lily’s Garden has funded pediatric cancer research, programs, lectureships, fellowship training and early-career investigators.

The family recently announced its latest commitment: $5 million to establish the Lily’s Garden Pediatric Leukemia Program at Monroe Carell to support leukemia research, physician-scientist leadership, precision oncology, innovative discovery projects and family-centered care initiatives. This gift brings the family’s total giving to $8 million. Family members have added to Lily’s Garden through personal giving, fundraising events, and the support of friends and community partners.

“We are so incredibly grateful to Lily’s family; they are absolutely amazing,” said Debra Friedman, MD, MS, Director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Monroe Carell and Deputy Director of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

“This leukemia program will provide us the ability to continue to advance discovery for leukemia and then translate that discovery to patients in the clinic,” continued Friedman, holder of the E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Pediatric Oncology.

A Family Affair

The Lily’s Garden Fund has been a family affair. Joining Lily in the endeavor are her parents, Larisa and Phillip Featherstone; grandparents, Carol and Ron Johnston; and sisters, Sophie Hensiek and Sophia Featherstone.

The family, from Franklin, Tennessee, owns a workplace safety consulting and third-party claims administration firm, Johnston & Associates, which was founded by Ron. 

Lily was first diagnosed with pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was in second grade. At the time, she set what felt like a lofty goal — raising $1 million for childhood cancer research.

“I never imagined when we started the Lily’s Garden Fund that it would go this far or become this big,” said Hensiek, who is now 25. “I’m very thankful that we’ve had the opportunity to do all of this and help support research.”

The family’s philanthropy journey began simply.

“Our first fundraiser was making soap,” said Larisa Featherstone, who also serves as Chair of the Monroe Carell Advisory Board. “Honestly, it felt insurmountable,” Featherstone said. “But it shows how something really small can compound over time, and every bit truly makes a difference.”

A New Era of Discovery

The newest gift is designed to accelerate the rapid progress in research. The gift will support a directorship to help advance pediatric leukemia care throughout the care continuum, including long-term survivorship; it will also create a directorship in cancer predisposition and precision oncology; and it will provide resources for innovative, high-impact research projects.

Hensiek knows firsthand how life-changing research can be. As a teen, she experienced a rare late relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and benefited from an immunotherapy treatment previously unavailable when she was first diagnosed.

“Immunotherapy wasn’t really even a thing when I was 7 years old,” Hensiek said. “It’s really amazing to see how far research has moved forward.”

For the type of leukemia Hensiek had, cure rates have risen dramatically.

“When Lily was first diagnosed, we said there was probably somewhere around 85% to 90% cure,” Friedman said. “Now, with the same leukemia, due to advances, we’re at almost 98%.”

The program will also support mental health and family-focused initiatives — areas the family believes are essential.

“Childhood cancer affects the whole family,” Featherstone said. “It doesn’t just affect the child or the parent.”

A Full-Circle Moment

Today, Hensiek is doing well and preparing for a career in health care. In a full-circle moment, she is studying to be a physician assistant at Kansas State University and will graduate in May 2027. Inspired by the physicians and caregivers who helped save her life, she too hopes to help children with cancer.

She also had the opportunity to do some of her clinical training at Monroe Carell. “It was such a phenomenal experience,” she said. “I’ve been the patient, and now I’ve been the student. That’s kind of wild to think about.”

As Lily’s Garden enters its next chapter, the family hopes the new leukemia program will honor not only Hensiek’s journey, but also the many children and families they have met along the way.

“We just keep going until there’s a cure,” Hensiek said.

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Gastric cancer rarely develops overnight. Instead, chronic inflammation can trigger a series of changes in stomach tissue that progress from normal cells to precancerous lesions and eventually to cancer. But where the mystery lies is why do some precancerous lesions develop into cancer while others do not? 

A new study from Eunyoung Choi, PhD, and colleagues helps answer that question by identifying the cancer-associated transcription factor SOX9 as a critical factor in the progression of spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM), a cell type increasingly recognized as a precursor to gastric cancer. The research was published July 14 in the journal Gastroenterology.

“Normal gastric chief cells transition into SPEM cells, which are associated both with mucosal recovery and cancer development,” said Choi, Associate Professor of Surgery and holder of the Naji N. Abumrad Chair. “Although SPEM has been recognized for years, the mechanisms regulating its progression have remained unclear.”

During chronic gastric injury, mature gastric chief cells can transform into SPEM cells as part of the stomach’s repair process. While this response may initially be protective, persistent inflammation and cancer-promoting signals can cause these cells to acquire characteristics associated with cancer development.

To investigate SOX9’s role in this process, researchers used two mouse models of gastric injury and carcinogenesis along with human gastric tissue samples. They found that SOX9 is required for chief cells to transition into SPEM cells following both acute and chronic injury.

When the researchers genetically removed SOX9, metaplasia failed to develop. The loss of SOX9 also prevented progression toward cancer and allowed repair-associated progenitor cells to return to a more normal state.

“These findings suggest that SOX9 functions as a master regulator of the cellular plasticity that drives gastric cancer development,” Choi said.

The study also revealed that SOX9-dependent SPEM cells help recruit fibroblasts to the base of gastric glands, contributing to a tissue environment that supports tumor formation.

Additionally, investigators identified a distinct subgroup of SPEM cells that express TOP2A, a protein associated with cell proliferation. Human tissue analyses showed that cells positive for both SOX9 and TOP2A were linked to metaplastic progression, suggesting these markers may help identify precancerous lesions at greater risk of becoming cancerous.

The findings may have important implications for patient care.

“Finding metaplasia on a biopsy is relatively common, but predicting which lesions will progress to cancer has remained challenging,” Choi said. “SOX9 and TOP2A positivity along with other SPEM cell markers may help identify patients with a higher likelihood of progression.”

Beyond their potential use as biomarkers, the results also point to new therapeutic possibilities. Targeting the cellular pathways regulated by SOX9 could provide an opportunity to interrupt the cancer development process before invasive disease occurs.

The researchers concluded that SOX9 is a critical regulator of SPEM development, metaplastic progression and gastric carcinogenesis. Future studies will explore how these findings can be translated into improved risk assessment tools and preventive strategies for patients at risk for gastric cancer.

The paper’s first author was Alexis Guenther, a graduate student in Cell and Developmental Biology in the Choi lab. Other Vanderbilt co-authors were Amanda Ruelas, Brianna Caldwell, MBA, Youngwon Cho, PhD, Changqing Zhang, Judith Romero-Gallo, MS, and Richard Peek, MD.

The study was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (grants F31CA284715, R37CA244970, R01CA272687, R01CA077955, P01CA116087, R01DK058587, R01CA281732 and P20GM121322), the American Gastroenterological Association Research Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund.

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A new study of cancer drugs denied by Medicare Part D insurance plans found that more than one-fifth of denials were overturned upon review by a contracted reviewer. This suggests there are a considerable number of inappropriate denials.

The study, led by Youngmin Kwon, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt Health, implemented natural language processing to analyze the text of second-level appeals of cancer drugs denied under Medicare Part D, the supplemental plans that cover prescription drugs. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

“Cancer drugs are expensive, and their use is closely monitored and controlled by insurance plans. They also belong to a protected drug class in the Part D program, meaning that plans must cover all or nearly all of these drugs. While plans cannot broadly exclude coverage, they can deny coverage of drugs that are not deemed medically necessary,” Kwon said.

The most common reason for initial denials was “non-medically acceptable” indications, or drugs prescribed “off-label,” which generally means using a drug outside its formally approved indication by the Food and Drug Administration.

When treating cancer, prescription drugs are often combined or used for cancer types or populations that aren’t always specifically included in the FDA-approved labeled indication. To govern coverage of off-label use, Medicare relies on clinical compendia that summarize supporting clinical evidence or other peer-reviewed studies of medications prescribed off-label.

“Off-label prescribing is exceptionally common in oncology, especially for treating rare or treatment-resistant cancers. Because it does not follow the ‘standard’ treatment protocol, insurers may have a greater justification for heavily scrutinizing off-label use and refuse coverage,” Kwon said.

However, the study found that 88% of successful appeals for off-label use were for medically acceptable indications already supported by a Medicare-approved clinical compendium or peer-reviewed scientific literature, suggesting that many requests for acceptable off-label use may have been denied.

Further, appeals for off-label use were often denied due to clerical issues (72%), such as failure to include adequate documentation and supporting citations. This suggests that many coverage decisions may have been made purely on administrative grounds, rather than through a formal clinical review, Kwon said.

Among drugs prescribed on-label but that were initially denied for failing to follow the preapproval process, 60% were ultimately approved by reviewers, a higher rate of favorable review.

Kwon said these findings echo concerns that utilization management tools used by insurers, such as prior authorization, are imposing barriers to necessary and evidence-based care.

“Patients and their providers may face considerable administrative burden in the appeals process for coverage of drugs that could be lifesaving. A simple mishap, such as forgetting to attach a lab result or a supporting citation, could mean weeks of delay. This creates stress for patients and their care team and could even lead to worse health outcomes if care is substantially delayed.”

Kwon said the new findings can be helpful in ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cancer treatment receive timely, high-quality medical care they need.

“Given the rapid adoption of AI into medical review processes, it will be important for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and insurers offering Part D plans to continue to improve the coverage and appeals process for Medicare beneficiaries. For instance, reducing documentation burden for on-label therapies, while establishing clearer guidelines for determining effective off-label use by insurers, may go a long way in improving patients’ access to prescribed cancer drugs.”

The research was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the American Cancer Society, Emory University, the University of Pittsburgh and University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, and Wake Forest University.

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On Saturday, Aug. 29, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center is convening clinicians from across the Middle Tennessee area for a day of collaboration and connection at the Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Symposium, held at the Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event theme is “Emerging Applications of Novel Therapies in Hematologic Disorders and Solid Tumors.”

Adetola Kassim, MBBS, MS, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, is the symposium chair and moderator. 

Kassim said, “Advances in treatment for hematologic disorders and solid tumors continue to reshape what’s possible for patients. This symposium offers providers a forum to learn from experts, share perspectives, and apply the latest evidence to improve outcomes for their patients.”

Sessions will focus on current advances in stem cell transplantation and cancer cell therapy, and emerging applications of these novel therapies in hematologic disorders and solid tumors.

The event will begin with a welcome from Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, Director of Vanderbilt-Ingram and Benjamin F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology, and Karen Proctor, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Administrative Director of Nursing.

A limited number of tickets are available for Vanderbilt Health employees at a discounted rate. Use these codes at checkout:

1. Physicians: VUMCMD
2. Advanced practice providers, fellows and nurses: VUMCAPPFEL

To register and view the agenda in advance, click here. Email questions to sct_symposium@vumc.org.

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For two weeks this summer, 30 high school students were glued to their screens.

But instead of scrolling social media or streaming videos, they were learning about the world of cancer research and medicine through the Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology (SHE) program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

More than a summer virtual learning program, SHE gives students an opportunity to explore meaningful careers in STEM, cancer research and cancer care, and envision their place in the future of medicine. Through hands-on experiences, mentorship and exposure to leading researchers and clinicians, they gain valuable insight into the discoveries and innovations shaping the future of cancer care.

Program Director Kimberly Dahlman, PhD, said, “SHE bridges the gap between curiosity and real-world opportunity through a two-week virtual curriculum, an immersive campus visit day, and year-round professional development.

“Participants build core scientific knowledge through interactive instruction and team-based research simulations. They also explore a range of careers in cancer research and clinical care, gaining insight into pathways in medicine, public health and biomedical science,” she said.

Nearly 160 students from 58 high schools applied this year across the entire region served by Vanderbilt-Ingram, which spans Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky. Twenty-five girls and five boys were accepted.

Throughout the school year, program engagement continues and includes virtual workshops in partnership with peer programs and opportunities to connect with mentors.

The program is financially supported by the American Cancer Society and Vanderbilt-Ingram.

Growth and Milestones in Year 5

Since its inception in 2022, SHE has scaled its impact dramatically. The 2022 cohort welcomed 20 students from Davidson County, Tennessee-based high schools, selected from over 70 applicants.

In 2023, the program received institutional support, which allowed the cancer center to expand recruitment across the full region served by Vanderbilt-Ingram and increase capacity from 20 to 30 students.

For the 2026 program year, Vanderbilt-Ingram received 158 applications from 31 counties.

Additional funding from Vanderbilt-Ingram helps cover expenses such as travel stipends and meals so that students outside Nashville, particularly those who live in rural areas, can experience the Vanderbilt Health Main Campus firsthand.

Students gave the program high ratings and provided positive feedback:

• 100% of respondents said the program provided them with a clear understanding of key cancer research principles.
• 94% of alumni that are currently enrolled in college stated that their current major or concentration was in a biomedical field.
• 9.1 was the average score on a scale of 1-10 for program impact.

One attendee shared, “(SHE) gave me the chance to explore science. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience that made me even more excited about science and health care.”

Another participant said, “I feel much more informed about my options for a future career in cancer research or medicine. I will never forget this experience.”

To help grow or support the program, make gifts online at https://bit.ly/viccshe. When making a gift, please select “Other” under “What would you like your donation to support?” Then in the comment field below, please write in “Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology.”

Applications for the 2027 program open Monday, Sept. 28.

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A team examined explanations generated by a large language model (LLM) for its performance of a clinical prediction task. They had found that, after fine-tuning, the LLM, GPT-4o from San Francisco-based OpenAI, performed comparably to four more traditional types of machine learning (ML) for predicting which patients would discontinue their home cancer medications before planned treatment completion.

From the Department of Biomedical Informatics, research fellow Congning Ni, PhD, Associate Professor Zhijun Yin, PhD, and colleagues reported their findings in the e-book series “Studies in Health Technology and Informatics.” The team used electronic health records and pharmacy surveys from 2,364 cancer patients.

The LLM achieved an F1 score of 87%, while the closest ML model scored 83%. For interpreting the latter model, the team used SHAP, or Shapley additive explanations, a widely used method for exploring (among other things) the internal structure of ML models, revealing how features are weighed. For interpreting the much larger GPT-4o, they asked the LLM to explain its reasoning for individual predictions; to derive feature-importance scores from this output, they used a new method they call mimic-SHAP.

The two models were found to agree on top features — body mass index and age. For secondary features, the LLM was found to lean more on patients’ prior conditions, the ML model on drug exposures and health care procedures.

Many cancer patients discontinue medications taken at home early, for reasons ranging from side effects and lack of response to nonmedical issues such as costs. Predicting early discontinuation could aid efforts to improve treatment adherence.

Others on the study from Vanderbilt include Qingyuan Song, Qingxia Chen, PhD, Lijun Song, PhD, S. Trent Rosenbloom, MD, MPH, Autumn Zuckerman, PharmD, Bridget Lynch, PharmD, MS, and Bradley Malin, PhD. They were joined by Jeremy Warner, MD, MS, of Brown University. The study was supported by National Institutes of Health award R37CA237452.

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Following the introduction of a surgical protocol that leveraged intraoperative imaging with a combination PET-CT scanner to assess the success of head and neck cancer resection, surgeons have used the technology for breast cancer.

Investigators led by Michael Topf, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, performed the nation’s first surgery using intraoperative PET-CT scanning in September 2025. Now, a surgical team led by Denise Garcia, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, has applied the technology to successfully resect a breast cancer mass.

“This application of intraoperative PET-CT is proof that countless patients can benefit from the expansion of this novel imaging methodology,” said Garcia. “Our team is proud to apply it to a type of tumor that has not yet been imaged for the purposes of assessing margin status. As our institution expands treatment methodologies to more types of cancer, we can cure more patients and give them peace of mind that their surgery has been completed with precision. This technological advancement underscores the success we’ve had across multiple disciplines in working toward that goal.”

Rapid expansion of intraoperative PET-CT scanning boosts efficiency, offers peace of mind to surgeons and patients alike

With each new application, surgeons are demonstrating that an intraoperative PET-CT imaging protocol can help reduce wait time for results from several days to a matter of minutes and allow surgical teams to know immediately whether they need to continue operating.

During surgery, the patient receives a dose of a radioactive agent that illuminates the cancer tissue in the scanner. Once the tumor is excised, it is placed in a specialized mobile PET-CT scanner called an Aura 10 device, developed and supplied by Belgium-based surgical technology company Xeos. The scanner negates the need to send the specimen to the pathology lab, providing surgical teams with a real-time view and allowing them to quickly determine if the entire cancerous mass was removed.

If any mass remains, the operation continues. If the cancer has been successfully resected, the surgery concludes, and the patient is sent home with peace of mind, knowing they won’t need to return for a follow-up surgery, and with confidence that their surgeons have a precise, immediate look at the results of the surgery. Because patients receive the radioactive agent on the day of surgery rather than in advance, they also receive a lower dose of radiation.

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The fifth annual Swim Across America-Nashville (SAA-Nashville), an annual team relay pool swim and charity event held at Ensworth Natatorium, celebrated a record-setting year: They raised more than $130,000 for cancer research and clinical trials at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, the Benjamin F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology and Director of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, kicked things off with his signature cannonball splash. Nearly 200 swimmers — including Olympians Missy Franklin Johnson, Paige Zemina Northcutt and Claire Donahue White — volunteers, supporters and sponsors participated this year, making it the largest and most successful Nashville swim to date.

The funds will be awarded to cancer researchers studying new approaches for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. With this year’s proceeds, SAA-Nashville has now raised more than $500,000 to fund cancer research initiatives at Vanderbilt-Ingram since 2022.

Past grant recipients have used funds to investigate advancements in malignant pleural effusion (often caused by cancers such as breast cancer spreading to the lungs), early-stage lung cancer, surgical oncology and more.

Trying to find another fun way to support cancer research and exercise? Clip In 4 the Cure’s early bird registration closes on June 30.

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