News

A new drug has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, in which the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute played a crucial role. The oral targeted menin inhibitor ziftomenib (known by its brand name Komzifti™) received FDA approval on Nov. 13, 2025. Ziftomenib is a once-daily oral targeted therapy for adult patients with nucleophosimin 1 (NPM1)-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). “AML is an aggressive blood and bone marrow cancer, and mutations in the NPM1 gene are among the most co...

“I knew if this treatment was going to help me, I would drive wherever to get it.” Living in Cadillac, David Levine was an avid hunter and outdoorsman who thrived on adventure. About 15 years ago, his active lifestyle was unexpectedly interrupted after a routine visit to his primary care physician. His routine bloodwork revealed elevated PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels - a potential sign of prostate cancer . Though he had no apparent symptoms, Levine continued regular visits with his doctor until...

Over the last decade, melanoma survival rates have improved significantly due to ongoing research and the development of immunotherapy. Lifileucel, also known by its brand name AMTAGVI, is a new form of immunotherapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients with metastatic melanoma whose cancer has stopped responding to immune checkpoint inhibitors. The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is the first and only cancer center in Michigan to treat a patient with this new immun...

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute , along with cancer centers and other organizations nationwide, recognizes November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among women and men. Lung Cancer Facts and Figures About 226,650 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2025. The chance that a man will develop lung cancer in his lifetime is about 1 in 17. A woman's lifetime chance of developing lung cancer is about 1 in 18. Lung cancer is the leading cause of c...

Patient Power Suresh Balasubramanian, M.D. , hematologist and medical oncologist, and member of the  Hematology Oncology  and  Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis  Multidisciplinary Teams at Karmanos, answered questions about how systemic mastocytosis can cause bone complications. Read the Q&A here .

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and the second most common cancer for both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. What’s especially troubling is that it is often not diagnosed until it’s already advanced. That’s why early detection through screening is so important. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to learn about your risks, understand the importance of screening, and take steps to protect your health or encourage...

From the patients served by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Institute to the businesses and organizations that Karmanos patients support, Karmanos has launched a new brand campaign. Michigan residents will be immersed in the stories of Karmanos cancer survivors, who share their journeys at staple businesses in the community, providing new imagery, radio spots, billboards, print, and digital advertisements. Six stories are presented in the latest phase of this marketing campaign. Patients, a physician and staff...

Did you know that a cancer clinical trial is a research study that examines new cancer-fighting drugs, surgical methods, diagnostic tests, or methods for disease prevention? Clinical trials lead to new treatment methods, but this is only possible if patients participate in these studies. As an academic center and research institute, the  Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute offers one of the most robust clinical trial portfolios in the country. However, the mention of clinical trials often has an ...

Angela Gushow, RN, OCN, oncology nurse at Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Bay Region and Auburn resident, has been caring for cancer patients throughout her entire career – more than 22 years, to be exact. She is an oncology-certified nurse and participates in a train-the-trainer program throughout McLaren Health Care to ensure that the same standard of oncology care is consistently delivered across the system for every patient. However, it is her firsthand experience as a breast cancer survivor wh...

Gail Purtan suffered from metastatic ovarian cancer for the better part of two decades, and it was because of her diagnosis that the Purtans became involved with the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. Dick Purtan, Gail’s husband, celebrated radio personality and philanthropist, recalled that time. “Well, actually, it goes back quite a few years,” he described. After Gail’s diagnosis in 1997, Dick’s attorney and long-time friend, Henry Baskin, told him about a magnificent cancer doctor at Karmanos na...