Chicago, IL – June 4, 2026 – Just three days before a volleyball match at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the team’s captain, Kendall Schara, found out she had cancer.  

“I spoke to a lot of my teammates that night,” said Schara. “I spoke to one in particular and told her, ‘I’m just so glad we got to play together for one last day.’” 

In April 2025, the then 21-year-old from Crown Point, Ind., had her wisdom teeth removed. What was supposed to be a standard procedure developed into an infection at one of the surgical sites, the flu, and a rash of sudden health issues. A bone marrow biopsy would then reveal the cause of her symptoms -- Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  

“I'll never forget the moment I was told I had cancer and having to ask the question, ‘what is my survival rate?’” said Schara. “I've been a relatively healthy person my whole life. I never had any problems until I had my wisdom teeth removed.” 

An intensive treatment plan 

Twenty-four hours after being diagnosed in Green Bay, Schara arrived at the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago to begin treatment close to home. 

Schara began a 24-hour chemotherapy drip and spent the next month at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. After completing chemo, she began preparing for a stem cell transplant to replace her diseased blood cells with healthy ones.  

In the United States, 70% of patients do not have a relative who is a match and must look outside the family for a donor. Schara’s younger sisters, Marley Schara (20), and Elle Schara (18), both got tested. While Marley wasn’t eligible, Elle was a perfect match.  

“Getting good news throughout all of this is something that keeps me on the positive side,” said Kendall. “Hearing that my sister was a perfect 12 out of 12 match, I was in shock. I didn’t think my sisters would be a match, let alone a perfect match.” 

On July 29, 2025, Kendall underwent a successful stem cell transplant using Elle’s donor cells. Kehinde Akekola, MD, a hematology and medical oncology specialist at Lurie Cancer Center, says Kendall’s athleticism and positive attitude worked to her advantage.

“Kendall works hard and is incredibly strong both mentally and physically,” said Dr. Adekola. “Both her young age and the absence of other medical conditions played a big role in how quickly she recovered.”

Before her transplant, Kendall underwent fertility preservation with Kara Goldman, MD, medical director of fertility preservation at Northwestern Medicine, in the hopes of one day starting a family.

“Fertility preservation is a critical part of comprehensive cancer care,” said Dr. Goldman.  “Infertility remains one of the most common complications of cancer treatment and all patients should have access to fertility preservation and the chance to build a family.”

Back on the court

Nearly one year after the transplant, Kendall is in remission. She returned to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in January 2026 and began practicing with her teammates.

“This semester had challenging moments, but watching the progress over the past few months makes it all worth it,” said Kendall. “I have grown so much mentally and physically, and I’m lucky to have my teammates right beside me.”

Meanwhile, Elle followed in her sister’s footsteps and began playing volleyball at Purdue University in Indiana. Through treatment and in sport, the girls are each other’s biggest fans.

“Not many people have gone through what Elle and I endured this past year,” said Kendall. I’m so grateful to call her my sister, my donor, and my best friend.”

Kendall’s volleyball season will begin in August, giving her a few more months of collegiate play before she graduates in December.

About Acute Myeloid Leukemia 

About 22,000 adults are diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in the United States each year. This type of cancer causes bone marrow to produce abnormal blood cells, and if not treated, can quickly spread throughout the body. The average age for a diagnosis is 69 years old.  

At Lurie Cancer Center, a multidisciplinary team specializes in the research and treatment of AML and other types of cancer.  

For more information on cancer research and treatment, visit nm.org.

CHICAGO – Dec. 16, 2025 – Researchers at Northwestern Medicine – along with the University of Michigan – have developed a new and faster approach to determine if a treatment for the brain cancer glioblastoma is working.

Glioblastoma is universally lethal as neurosurgeons cannot remove all of the tumor cells and most drugs used for cancer can’t cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain to target the remaining cancer. This leads to leftover tumor cells surviving.

Northwestern Medicine Malnati Brain Tumor Institute researchers have previously done trials with the Sonocloud-9 device from Carthera in Lyon, France, a therapeutic ultrasound device that opens up the blood-brain barrier for about an hour so that chemotherapy can get in. But in a new analysis published in Nature Communications, Northwestern Medicine and University of Michigan researchers found that opening the blood-brain barrier lets tumor content leak into the blood, making it possible to test for brain cancer response to chemotherapy in the blood.

“Instead of removing tumor tissue, we analyzed blood for tumor material, known as extra-cellular vesicles or exosomes.” said Northwestern Medicine neurosurgeon Adam Sonabend, MD, one of the study’s authors. “Historically, that has not worked for brain tumors because of the blood-brain barrier posing a challenge for liquid biopsy for brain diseases.”

The researchers tested tiny particles released by the brain tumors - called extracellular vesicles (EVs) – that could be measured in the blood after temporarily opening the blood-brain barrier.

To do this, Northwestern Medicine researchers worked with University of Michigan researchers to develop a microfluidic chip called GlioExoChip that isolates tumor-derived exosomes and provides a minimally invasive way to monitor treatment response.

“Opening the blood-brain barrier allows tumor-derived vesicles to be measured in blood, providing a clinically meaningful liquid biopsy signal,” said Mark Youngblood, MD, PhD, a neurosurgery resident at Northwestern Medicine and co-lead author of the study. “The GlioExoChip provides a quick and minimally invasive way to monitor treatment response in a disease where MRI scans often give misleading results.”

"There are tiny particles floating in patient blood, called extracellular vesicles, that have been released by the cancer cells. These particles act as messengers, carrying special bits of genetic tumor material and proteins”, said Sunitha Nagrath, PhD, the Dwight F. Benton Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan and co-corresponding author of the study. “The big challenge is figuring out how to find and pull out only those that come from cancer cells and not from elsewhere in the body.”

The next steps for the researchers will be to validate their findings with other therapies and explore the potential to expand to other therapies.

“Instead of waiting months, after one dose we can know if a given treatment is working,” Dr. Sonabend said. “That is huge for glioblastoma patients. It could potentially prevent patients from getting prolonged treatments that are ineffective, thus also avoid unnecessary side effects.”

This study was primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health. Additional support for the study was provided by the Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, the Moceri Family Foundation, the University of Michigan Forbes Institute for Cancer Discovery, the United States Department of Defense, the American Brain Tumor Association, Tap Cancer Out and the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.

Chicago, IL – September 17, 2025 – At the age of 14, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Liliana “Lili” Castaneda thought she had her first menstrual cycle. At first, she was actually excited about it, but then, the monthly bleeding turned into daily bleeding. Castaneda was bleeding so much that she would soak through menstrual pads in 15 minutes and would get dizzy when standing up.

Castaneda went to a local doctor, who told her it was just stress due to the pandemic. But Castaneda insisted that something was wrong, and one month before her 15^th birthday, she was diagnosed with a rare vaginal cancer called clear cell carcinoma. When viewed under a microscope, the cancer cells look clear. It’s typically found in the female reproductive system in postmenopausal women. 

“In my 15 years of practicing medicine, Liliana is the youngest patient I’ve treated for clear cell carcinoma – most of my patients are in their 60s,” said Dario Roque, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine.

Since clear cell carcinoma of the vagina isn’t a childhood cancer, pediatric hospitals in Chicago wouldn’t accept Castaneda as a patient. On top of that, her mom only speaks Spanish, so it was important to have a physician who could communicate with Castaneda’s mom during appointments. 

Northwestern Medicine was ready and willing to take on her case. Dr. Roque, who is from Cuba and speaks Spanish, was easily able to communicate with Castaneda’s mom during the course of treatment which included chemotherapy and radiation.

Jonathan Strauss, MD, was Castaneda’s radiation oncologist at the Lurie Cancer Center, and oversaw both external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy, a specific type of internal radiation therapy where a radioactive implant is put inside the body to deliver radiation directly to the tumor. 

“Liliana’s tumor was about the size of a golf ball,” said Dr. Strauss. “At the time of her diagnosis, the tumor was too large for us to surgically remove it, so we had to use external and internal radiation therapies to help shrink it. It took a lot of radiation to get rid of her tumor, along with chemotherapy.”

Certain cancer treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, can negatively impact a patient’s ability to have children, which is why fertility preservation prior to the start of treatment is essential for many patients. But, since Castaneda was born with Turner Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects females and causes infertility, preserving her fertility was not an option or a choice the family had to make. Castaneda’s doctors also don’t believe her Turner Syndrome diagnosis had anything to do with her cancer diagnosis. 

 Thanks to the chemotherapy and radiation, Castaneda had tremendous results and was officially declared cancer-free in March 2021. Inspired by her Northwestern Medicine medical team, Castaneda, who is now 19 years old, is going to college and taking nursing classes.

“I can’t wait to become a nurse and help other kids navigate their medical journey,” she said.  

“We knew Liliana was going to do great things no matter what, but when she told us she wanted to go to nursing school, the entire Northwestern Medicine team that took care of her was very touched,” said Dr. Strauss.

Castaneda and her doctors also want women to know that they should contact their physician if they’re experiencing abnormal bleeding, bleeding between periods or after menopause, along with pain or urinary symptoms. Those are the first signs of clear cell carcinoma of the vagina.

“If you feel like something is wrong, don’t hesitate and get it checked out,” said Castaneda.

For more information on gynecologic cancer care at Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org.

CHICAGO – April 2, 2025 – At the start of the pandemic, Iona Woolmington was installing artwork at a contemporary art museum in downtown Chicago when she first began having trouble in the bathroom. Blood in her stool prompted the then 35-year-old to see a doctor, leading to a devastating diagnosis: stage 3 rectal cancer.

This was not Woolmington’s first encounter with cancer. In 2014, the cartoonist and vegetable farmer originally from North Bennington, Vt., underwent surgery to remove a cancerous spot on her face caused by early-stage melanoma. After five years cancer-free, Woolmington found herself back at the doctor’s office, but this time with concerns about how chemotherapy and radiation would impact her fertility.

“Iona’s tumor was located deep within her pelvis, which is a complicated area,” said Mary Mulcahy, MD, medical oncologist with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Chemotherapy and radiation would be necessary to shrink the tumor before surgical removal. However, these treatments would likely impact her egg quality, damage her ovaries, and trigger premature menopause. Given all the difficulties ahead for Iona, it was important for her to explore her options.”

Before beginning cancer treatment, Dr. Mulcahy referred Woolmington to specialists at the Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, who recommended a fertility-sparing solution.

First, Woolmington had the option to remove and freeze her eggs for later use in fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Then, a surgical procedure known as ovarian transposition could protect her ovaries from the damaging effects of radiation by moving the organ out of harm’s way.

“When we see a patient early on, the goal is to do as much as we can to potentially preserve the possibility of having a child down the road,” said Emily Jungheim, MD, chief of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Northwestern Medicine. “Iona was young, and so we knew the eggs we got were going to be high quality. By examining the ovaries with ultrasound, we can estimate the potential number of eggs available for egg banking, and we were pleased to see that things looked good for Iona. Egg banking in combination with ovarian transposition put Iona on track for more control of her future reproductive health.”

“During ovarian transposition, we take the ovaries, which are normally located in the pelvis, and move them into the abdomen as far away from the field of radiation as possible to avoid any kind of injury,” said Magdy Milad, MD, chief of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Northwestern Medicine. “By doing so, we protect the patient from premature menopause and the associated risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, and even early death.”

After successfully freezing her eggs and moving her ovaries out of the field of radiation, Woolmington began chemotherapy and radiation to treat her primary tumor. Six months later, doctors determined she had responded well enough to treatment to become a candidate for a colon resection.

In Feb. 2021, surgeons removed the cancerous part of Woolmington’s rectum and sewed the healthy parts back together. While her gastrointestinal tract healed, Woolmington was given a temporary ileostomy bag to prevent waste from passing onward to the large intestine and rectum.

“For patients with colorectal cancer, chemotherapy doesn’t typically cause you to lose your hair, so the ileostomy bag was the most concrete change in my experience with cancer,” said Woolmington. “I was initially very concerned about living with my ileostomy, but ended up being very wrong about how much of an impact it had on my day-to-day life. That made me want to write about it.”

To raise awareness for a disease that is becoming increasingly common in people under the age of 50, and to illustrate the ways young adults are uniquely impacted by cancer, Woolmington created Tough Shit under the pen name, Iona Fox. The comic explores navigating a cancer diagnosis in a pandemic, its impact on dating and relationships, and adjusting to life with a stoma.

Today, Woolmington is cancer-free, and her ovarian function is normal.

“The fact that my Northwestern Medicine medical team not only helped me beat cancer, but also helped me come out of it with my 35-year-old body still intact, with the door still open on parenthood… there are no words to express my appreciation for that,” said Woolmington.

CHICAGO – Army Special Forces veteran Jeff Bosley estimates he’s had 10-15 surgeries during his life, mostly for injuries. But earlier this year, Bosley, 46, who lives in the Omaha, Nebraska area, needed one that would save his life after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in May.

While men being diagnosed with prostate cancer under the age of 50 is extremely rare, Bosley also has a family history with the disease, which increases risk. Because of that family history, his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are tested on a quarterly basis. High levels of PSA may indicate the presence of prostate cancer, and the disease is usually detected by that blood test before any signs or symptoms. 

“Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in men, and less than one percent of prostate cancers are diagnosed in men under 50,” said Edward Schaeffer, MD, PhD, chief of urology at Northwestern Medicine. “Routine screenings can help catch prostate cancer at an earlier stage.”

During a screening in early 2024, Bosley’s PSA levels had quadrupled in a four-month span, which indicated a possible aggressive form of prostate cancer, and a biopsy later confirmed the disease. After seeing multiple doctors near his home in, and feeling unsatisfied with their treatment plans, Bosley discovered a podcast with Dr. Schaeffer detailed diagnostic and management strategies for people with prostate cancer.

“I wanted to get a second opinion, and I also wanted a physician with great bedside manner because this person would have a significant impact on my life,” Bosley said. “When I heard Dr. Schaeffer on the podcast, I really appreciated his approach to patient care and research, and I decided to make an appointment. During our first video consult, I felt a strong connection with Dr. Schaeffer’s attitude and treatment plan.”

Traveling to Chicago for Lifesaving Care

Bosley traveled to Chicago where he underwent surgery on September 10 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital to remove the cancer. Bosley returned home a few days later to recover. His follow-up appointments are being done virtually, and like all cancer survivors, he will continue to have ongoing surveillance.

“Jeff had a great outcome to the surgery and currently has no signs of cancer in his body,” said Dr. Schaeffer, who is also a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University. “We always tell patients that cancer doesn’t read rulebooks, so we will have to continually monitor him, like we do all of our cancer survivors.”

Since his time in the military, Bosley has been working as an actor in television and movies. Following the surgery, he’s returning to his active lifestyle and has been receiving audition requests for acting jobs.

“As a kid, I always said I wanted to be Rambo,” Bosley said. “I didn’t know if I wanted to do it in real life or in movies. I got the real one out of the way and decided to try acting in 2014.”

Serving His Country Aided Him in Choosing a Urologist

Bosley served in the United States Army from 2006-14, serving with the 10^th Special Forces Group out of Fort Carson, Colorado. His deployments included serving in Iraq and missions in Africa.

“I always knew I wanted to join the military,” said Bosley. “I always knew I wanted to do the elite stuff, but didn’t know it was going to be the Green Berets. I value my decision to serve and would have regretted not doing so.”

He has always led an active lifestyle, working as a firefighter before and after his military career. Being a Green Beret, Bosley had a lot of unique training other than just combat duties. He majored in pre-med in college and Bosley’s specialty was medicine in the Army, receiving training beyond the basic combat medical needs.

After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, that medical training aided him in choosing a urologist for his care.

An estimated 1 in 8 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer with their lifetime. November is also “Movember,” a time to raise awareness for men’s health, including prostate cancer.  

For more information on prostate cancer care at Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org/urology or call 833-7-POLSKY (833-776-5759) to make an appointment. To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org.

Naples, FL — October 28, 2024 — Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) announced today a strategic collaboration with Northwestern Medicine with a focus on enhancing and expanding cancer care services. Leveraging the expertise of Northwestern Medicine, NCH will establish a comprehensive cancer program to support the growing clinical needs to treat and care for cancer patients in Southwest Florida.

As part of the collaboration, NCH will have access to a variety of clinical resources offered by Northwestern Medicine including the ability to consult with oncology experts, refer patients for second opinions and the opportunity to leverage the latest in clinical trial offerings. Northwestern Medicine is also home to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. Designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Lurie Cancer Center is one of only 57 Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation and one of the first centers to receive a Merit Extension Award from NCI.

“This is a unique opportunity to leverage our expertise and share best practices with the goal of enhancing the cancer care offerings in Southwest Florida,” said Howard Chrisman, MD, president and chief executive officer, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. “Backed by a nationally ranked cancer program and leading oncology experts, we believe this collaboration has the potential to have a lasting impact on current and future NCH patients.”

For years, NCH has worked diligently to transform itself into an Advanced Community Healthcare System^TM committed to bringing more comprehensive and acute care to Southwest Florida, so residents won’t have to travel far to get it. To that end, this collaboration will advance cancer screening programs aimed at ensuring early detection and introduce patient navigation programs to support cancer patients through their journey.

Dr. Ed Grendys, a gynecologic oncologist, has been named Medical Director to lead the advancement of the NCH Women’s Cancer Program. This effort will include the opening of a women’s cancer center on the NCH North Naples campus, offering comprehensive gynecologic oncology surgery and treatment.

“NCH is proud to collaborate with Northwestern Medicine - one of the premier healthcare organizations in oncology. Through this partnership, our patients will gain access to leading-edge clinical trials, cancer specialists and experts who define the national treatment guidelines for cancer,” said Paul Hiltz, president and chief executive officer, NCH. “We will continue to recruit new physicians and nurses to Southwest Florida to support our growing oncology program. These expanding services allow cancer patients the opportunity to receive the best possible care right here in Southwest Florida with the world’s best cancer specialists.”

Northwestern Medicine is Chicago’s premier integrated academic health system. Dedicated to providing the most advanced health care to patients, the health system is anchored by Northwestern Memorial Hospital. For 13 consecutive years, Northwestern Memorial has been named to the Best Hospital Honor Roll by U.S. News and World Report, with 11 specialties ranked nationally. Most noteworthy being, Northwestern Memorial is one of only three hospitals in the nation to receive a U.S. News rating of High Performing in all procedures and conditions. The health system’s cancer program is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report and provides patients with access to state-of-the art therapies, highly specialized cancer care teams, specialized research and clinical trials.

“Through the continued generosity of our community, NCH will continue to rapidly expand cancer treatment and prevention services,” said Scott Lutgert, board chair, NCH. “NCH’s vision is to open a comprehensive cancer center that incorporates the best practices of leading cancer centers in the U.S., including Northwestern.”

A new study by Northwestern Medicine in today’s issue of JAMA Oncology suggests that using an alternative approach, a percutaneous, transperineal prostate biopsy, is as effective at detecting cancer as the transrectal approach, but without the risk of infection or need for prophylactic antibiotics.

“While the potential advantages to the transperineal approach have been suggested, high-level Category 1 evidence was limited,” said primary investigator Edward Schaeffer, MD, PhD, The Harold Binstein Professor and Chief of Urology at Northwestern Medicine. “This study shows that transperineal prostate biopsy without antibiotic prophylaxis significantly is associated with a lower risk of infection compared to transrectal biopsy with targeted prophylaxis. Our data supports a transperineal approach to prostate biopsy as a new standard of care.”

The paper reports the results of the PReclude infection EVEnts with No prophylaxis Transperineal (PREVENT), a 10-center randomized controlled trial that compares the infectious complications of clinic-based transperineal biopsy without antibiotic prophylaxis versus transrectal biopsy with targeted prophylaxis. The primary outcome of the study was infection, but researchers also considered outcomes including cancer detection, urinary retention and bleeding.

In the trial, 875 participants with suspicion for prostate cancer were randomized with 382 undergoing transperineal prostate biopsy without antibiotics and 370 participants undergoing transrectal biopsy with antiobiotics. Zero infections were reported in the transperineal arm compared to six, or 1.6%, transrectal biopsy infections. There was no compromise in the detection of high grade cancer with the Transperineal approach (55% vs. 52% of TP and TR biopsies)  and rates of other complications were very low and similar.

“Antibiotics are a limited, but essential resource. The more widely antibiotics are used, the less likely they will be effective in the future. With this in mind, we have a responsibility to find alternative approaches to patient care that limit risk of infection while decreasing reliance on antibiotics.” said Dr. Schaeffer, who is also a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University. “By transitioning to the transperineal approach as the primary technique to prostate biopsy, we can effectively and safely detect cancer while eliminating the need for antibiotics and improving antibiotic stewardship.”

Northwestern Medicine is consistently recognized as a national leader in urology at the forefront of research and medical advancements in prostate cancer. The Northwestern Medicine Polsky Urologic Cancer Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University's prostate cancer program offers personalized, integrative and innovative care for the diagnosis, treatment and management of prostate cancer. The Prostate cancer program at NM offers a multidisciplinary access point for prostate cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, as well as resources, including genetic counseling. Bolstering promising, active research while strengthening advanced tracking and diagnostic techniques, the program offers precision diagnosis and treatment, groundbreaking innovation in treatment and prevention and sustained wellness beyond diagnosis and treatment through survivorship and follow-up care services.

For more information on prostate cancer care at Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org/urology or call 833-7-POLSKY (833-776-5759) to make an appointment. To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit news.nm.org.

CHICAGO – May 22, 2024 – On Sunday, June 2, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and Northwestern Medicine will welcome more than 3,000 cancer survivors and supporters back to Grant Park for the 31^st Annual Cancer Survivors’ Celebration Walk & 5K.

Held on National Cancer Survivors Day, this community event features a non-competitive walk or chip-timed 5K run along Chicago’s lakefront, T-shirts, refreshments, music and entertainment, skin cancer screenings, activities for the family and a chance to share a message on the Dedication Wall.

“There are more than 18 million people living with a history of cancer in the United States,” says Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD, director of Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine. “Thanks to the physicians and scientists taking bold steps to detect cancer earlier and develop new therapies, that number is expected to grow. This annual event gives us the opportunity to celebrate survivors and their families and renew our commitment to defeating this devastating disease.”

The celebration is an opportunity for cancer survivors — wearing purple shirts — to connect and celebrate milestones with the friends, family members and medical professionals who have supported them along the way. The event is open to everyone whose life has been impacted by cancer, regardless of where they were treated.

The Walk route is approximately three miles, but participants are welcome to enjoy the lakefront path at their own pace and return to Grant Park’s Arvey Field (northeast corner of Columbus Drive and Roosevelt Road) whenever they choose.

Advanced registration is available online and is strongly encouraged. Runners must register for the 5K race in advance and can pick up their race bib with timing chip in Grant Park on the day of the event, starting at 8 a.m.

Day-of registration for walkers will also begin at 8 a.m. The 5K run will commence at 9:15 a.m., followed by the walk at 10:00 a.m., rain or shine.

All funds raised will directly support Lurie Cancer Center’s innovative research and survivorship programs. Fundraising is optional, and there is no minimum donation required. For more information on event activities, fundraising and registration, click here.

WHAT: 31^st Annual Cancer Survivors’ Celebration Walk & 5K 

WHEN: Sunday, June 2 (National Cancer Survivors Day)

• 8 a.m. — Event-day registration and t-shirt pick-up opens
• 8:30 a.m. — Welcome, warm-up and celebration begins
• 9:15 a.m. — 5K run starts
• 10 a.m. — Walk starts

WHERE: Grant Park’s Arvey Field, Chicago (northeast corner of Columbus Drive and Roosevelt Road)

WHO:  Cancer survivorship experts and oncologists from Lurie Cancer Center are available for interviews as well as the following cancer survivors:

• David Berwanger, a 59-year-old head and neck cancer survivor who transformed his radiation therapy masks into superheroes, funny faces and popular movie characters. David will attend this year’s walk as a “Face of Cancer” honoree.
• Mike Hlavin, a three-time cancer survivor who found out he had melanoma after getting a free skin cancer screening at the 2023 Cancer Survivors’ Celebration Walk & 5K. Since 2010, the 58-year-old has faced prostate cancer and multiple myeloma in addition to melanoma. 

In the United States, breast cancer incidence in Hispanic women is 28 percent lower than in non-Hispanic white women, who have the highest incidence rate. Despite these lower occurrence rates, Hispanic women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer and have a 30 percent higher mortality rate highlighting the significant health disparities this population faces when it comes to accessing high-quality breast cancer care and screening.  

“What we see in the Hispanic community is that the women are being diagnosed at later stages, even though their diagnosis tends to be at a younger age,” says Claudia Tellez, MD, a medical oncologist at Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine. “And because they’re being diagnosed at a later stage, their cancers are generally more aggressive, and the prognosis is less favorable.” 

Dr. Tellez is working to change this by breaking down barriers and providing Chicago’s Hispanic women with better access to breast cancer screening, treatment and research with the recently launched Lurie Cancer Center Hispanic Breast Cancer Clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.  

“Many Hispanic women in Chicago struggle to access care or are not receiving the highest standard of care because of language barriers, financial limitations and other factors,” says Dr. Tellez, medical director of the new clinic. “Our team is dedicated to addressing these disparities and improving access by providing culturally sensitive care, bilingual support, and educational resources tailored to the needs of Hispanic patients.”  

Led by Dr. Tellez, who is a native of Colombia, the Hispanic Breast Cancer Clinic offers personalized care from a multidisciplinary team of breast cancer experts, supportive care specialists and administrative staff who all speak Spanish. The core clinic team includes a physician, nurse, medical assistant, social worker and research assistant.  

“Getting a breast cancer diagnosis is scary and overwhelming – even more so when you can’t access care in your preferred language,” says Dr. Tellez. “Patients who come to us can expect a safe and welcoming environment where each person they encounter – starting from their first phone call through their treatment – will speak Spanish. We want every patient to be confident in her treatment plan and feel comfortable communicating with a care team that embraces her culture and speaks her preferred language.”  

One of Dr. Tellez’s goals with the new clinic is to increase the number of Hispanic patients participating in clinical trials for breast cancer, an area where they are consistently underrepresented.  

“Breast cancer patients that are Hispanic represent about a third in the city of Chicago. A third of the patients that we’re seeing for clinical trials should be Hispanic,” says Dr. Tellez “And yet, we see less than 10 percent Hispanic patients participating in clinical trials in the city of Chicago. And for pharmaceutical company trials, it’s even lower at around 2.5 percent.” 

In addition to often being diagnosed younger and with later stage cancers, Hispanic women are at higher-risk for triple-negative breast cancer and HER-2 positive breast cancer, aggressive subtypes of the disease that require a targeted, specific treatment plan.  

“There are distinctive features about Hispanic women with breast cancer. For instance, they have subtypes of breast cancer that are unique, and we need to be aware of that and treat them accordingly,” says Dr. Tellez. “Participation in clinical trials often means access to new drugs or treatments that aren’t available otherwise. More participation and representation also create an opportunity for clinical trials that are very specific to those subtypes, such as triple negative, and can help improve treatments for the disease.”       

Community outreach and partnerships with Hispanic health advocates will be an important element to the success of the new Hispanic Breast Cancer Clinic.  

 “We’re working with community groups and health advocates who are known and trusted in the community. Together, we want to ensure that Hispanic women are knowledgeable about the importance of regular screenings and early detection,” says Dr. Tellez. “And if they need care, we’re here and ready to help. Our goal is to ensure that every patient who walks through our door has the information, education and resources needed for the best possible outcome in their breast cancer journey,”  

On Saturday, October 28, Dr. Tellez will participate in Lurie Cancer Center’s annual Breast Cancer Community Forum for Hispanic women. The event will feature educational presentations in Spanish about breast cancer, followed by an interactive discussion with a panel of experts who will answer questions about treatments, surgeries, as well as the emotions and challenges faced by cancer survivors. The event is free and open to the public. Register online: Foro Comunitario Sobre Cáncer de Seno.  

To schedule an appointment with the Hispanic Breast Cancer Clinic, call our Spanish-speaking patient liaison at 312.472.0805 (TTY: 711) or visit the clinic's website in Spanish or English.

B-ROLL, SOUNDBITES & PHOTOS: Hispanic Breast Cancer Clinic - Dropbox 

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL DEL COMUNICADO DE PRENSA: El Centro Oncológico Lurie lanza una clínica hispana de cáncer de mama en el Northwestern Memorial Hospital
 
For more information about Northwestern Medicine, visit https://news.nm.org/.  

CHICAGO -  When Erika Aleman began training for marathons in 2015, she struggled to embrace her running coach’s mantra: “Take it one mile at a time.”

New to running, all she could think about was crossing the finish line.

“I was frustrated, but my coach was right. When I focused on the finish, I was overwhelmed,” says Erika, now 43-years-old, who saw her times improve and her love of running grow as she changed her approach.

Now, seven years later, Erika is again turning to that philosophy, but this time for a different type of challenge – to guide her through treatment for breast cancer.

On Sunday, October 9, Erika completed the Chicago Marathon, a race she trained for through 16 rounds of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy. On Friday, October 14, just five days after the marathon, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy for stage II triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). 

“When I was diagnosed, I felt like I lost control of my life,” says Erika of her diagnosis. “I didn’t understand how this could happen. Everything went dark for me.”

Scared for her life and what the diagnosis meant for her two daughters, Erika also worried she would have to stop running, something that had become her personal form of therapy.

“Running is my ‘me time’ and the place where I can be in my own head,” she says. “Any trouble in my life, I’d grab my shoes and head outside. I couldn’t lose that, not now.”

Erika sought treatment at the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine where she met oncologist Regina Stein, MD, who supported her in continuing to run and remaining active.

“In our first appointment, Dr. Stein told me, ‘You will see the light at the end of the tunnel,’ and then she said it was okay to run,” said Erika. “That’s when I promised myself that I would survive this. Dr. Stein gave me hope when I needed it.”

Recalling their first meeting, Dr. Stein remembers her patient’s initial fear, but then that fear turned into a resolve to beat cancer. “I outlined what treatment she would need to achieve the goal of curing her cancer. Erika very confidently said a phrase in Spanish that I know very well. She said ‘así será,’ which means ‘that is what it will be.’ It’s a promise,” says Dr. Stein. “When she said that, I knew not just what we were trying to achieve, but that it would happen.” 

As her treatment progressed, Erika never stopped running or training. When it came time to schedule surgery, Erika had a surprising request – could she have her procedure after she ran the Chicago Marathon? Erika’s care team came up with a treatment plan that had the best odds of eradicating the cancer but was timed so she could still train and run the marathon without disrupting the necessary timeline. 

Erika says she relied on her faith, her family and her running to carry her through chemo and immunotherapy. And she never forgot her coach’s earlier words: Trust the process, take it one step at a time.

“I had to focus on what I could control and that was my running,” says Erika. “On the days I couldn’t run, then I would walk. Sometimes, I would only be able to walk around my living room, but I did it. I never stopped.”

Throughout treatment, Erika has relied on the support of her two daughters, Abby (16) and Marcia (21), who she calls her biggest cheerleaders and the reason she originally began running.

“I started running to prove to my daughters that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to,” says Erika, who is a single mom. “I told myself I would survive this for them. I am strong for my daughters, so they don’t have to worry about this.”  

At the marathon, Dr. Stein was excited to be along the course, cheering on the patient she calls an inspiration. 

“We can often think we’re running away from something, but Erika was running toward something,” says Dr. Stein. “She was running towards her cure, towards her life, towards her family. She was running towards the end of this, and she has run faster and stronger with each cycle.”

Reflecting on what was her 13^th marathon, Erika says yesterday’s race was her slowest, but also her most important.

“Life will punch you in the gut, but it doesn’t mean you should stop breathing,” says Erika. “You don’t get to pick and choose what happens to you, but you get to choose how to respond. I chose life, I chose to fight, I chose to embrace my reality and to keep going forward with my head held high. Yesterday, I ran THE BEST MARATHON OF my life.”

Six days following her surgery, Erika got the phone call she been waiting for since her cancer diagnosis: “Dr. Stein called me and told me I’m cancer-free. What’s better than that? We need to celebrate life. I’m a lucky one.”