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Your genes play a meaningful role in your health—shaping everything from your physical features to your risk for certain medical conditions, including cancer. While most cancers are not inherited, about 5% to 10% of cases can be linked to hereditary factors. If cancer has touched your family, learning more about your genetic risk can be an important step toward protecting your future. There is a lot of information online about genetics and cancer, and trying to sort through it by yourself can feel overw...

Leslie Cameron Devereaux’s memory lives on at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in her father’s name, Richard C. Devereaux. Upon her death, she gave a lasting gift that will allow Karmanos cancer researchers to move the needle forward in the treatment of lung cancer. The Richard C. Devereaux Foundation donation has made possible the establishment of the Richard C. Devereaux Foundation Endowed Chair for Lung Cancer Research at Karmanos Cancer Institute, which was awarded to Hirva Mamdani, M.D. , ...

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute welcomes Khalil Choucair, M.D., MSc , medical oncologist, to the Thoracic Oncology and Phase I Clinical Trials Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT). Dr. Choucair joins the team after completing his hematology and oncology clinical fellowship at Karmanos, where he served as chief fellow and worked closely with Karmanos oncologists and scientific researchers. He began seeing patients in July 2025 at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit and Karmanos Cancer Institute – Dearbo...

(From left to right, Stuart E. Raider, MJSF president; Jeffrey Zonder, M.D.; and Don Rudick, former MJSF director) The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute holds a special place in the hearts of those who have been touched by its life-saving mission. Thanks to the community's philanthropic support, Karmanos continues to pursue groundbreaking research that fulfills our promise to provide every patient with the best chance. At this year’s 34 th Annual Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf, Tennis and Pickleball I...

A major new review published in the high-impact Nature journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (impact factor >50) is reshaping the conversation around KRAS, one of the most historically “undruggable” oncogenes in human cancer. The article, “ Targeting KRAS mutations: orchestrating cancer evolution and therapeutic challenges ,” led by researchers at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University, has rapidly gained international attention, becoming one of the most acces...

George Fish and his wife of 48 years, Anne Marie, fill their daily schedules with a variety of activities. “We have a calendar, and we fill it every day. We got stuff to do, and we keep going,” shared his wife. “My dad always said, ‘What you don't use, you lose.’ So we keep moving. “Let's hope that we can keep doing what we're doing. We're fortunate and so lucky.” And fortunate they are. A Turn of Events It was a regular day in February 2024 for the 73-year-old Macomb resident. He started his day by hav...

As you consider your end-of-year giving plans, below are several ideas for supporting the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute . Qualified Charitable Distribution A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) allows individuals aged 70½ years or older to support our mission in a simple and tax-advantaged way. You can give any amount up to $108,000 annually from your IRA directly Karmanos without paying income taxes on the distribution. This popular gift option is also commonly referred to as the IRA charit...

For 30 years, Michael Cher, M.D. , urologic oncologist, chief of Urology and member of the Genitourinary Oncology Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), has been a leading presence at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University. Now, upon completing his 1,000 th robotic surgery, Dr. Cher reflected on how his journey with this technology began. “I trained in the era before robotic surgery,” he described. “When robotic surgery came around in the 2000s, we were able to transfer our traditio...

“If you care about your life and your family members, get the screenings because they are important." Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. The current lung cancer screening guidelines are in place to help lower the number of deaths due to the disease by catching the cancer in earlier stages. An annual lung cancer screening can save thousands of lives. Due to his firsthand experience, 69-year-old Edgar Cooper now understands the importance of these screening guidelines. He ...

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute , along with cancer centers and other organizations nationwide, recognizes November as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. As its name suggests, pancreatic cancer originates in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. The pancreas plays a crucial role in digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels. About Pancreatic Cancer Exocrine cells make up much of the pancreas. When these cells grow out of control, adenocarcinoma of the pancreas occurs. Pancrea...