Karmanos Cancer Institute

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. , ...

Dr. Khalil Choucair specializes in cancers of the chest, including lung cancer 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 2...

(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...

Every day, the KSP Specialty Pharmacy team works behind the scenes to ensure our patients receive timely, affordable access to life-saving medications. Two recent examples highlight how KSP’s expertise and hands-on navigation directly protect patients from financial burden, while strengthening the coordination of care across McLaren. Case 1: Wiping Out a $5,500 Balance for a Karmanos Bay Region Patient A patient with commercial insurance, treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), faced a $5,500 bill whil...

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 had begun. “I trained in the era before robotic surgery,” he described. “When robotic surgery came around in the 2000s, we were able to transfer o...

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...

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...

New two-part campaign reiterates the Karmanos Advantage, encourages cancer patients to advocate for their health by getting a second opinion, and uses real cancer survivors sharing their Karmanos journey   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 busine...