Bench to Bedside

Being overweight or having obesity is linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer. These cancers comprise 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States each year. In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, speaks with Dr. John Thyfault, professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physi...

In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast Joseph Hines, II, MPH, senior director of research operations at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, joins Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director, to discuss the launch and success of the CAREERS in CLINICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM (C-CLEAR Program). This groundbreaking initiative is designed to introduce college students in the region to the dyna...

In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer center, speaks with Dr. Jamie Myers, an advanced practice oncology nurse with more than 40 years of experience and Research Associate Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center's School of Nursing. Dr. Myers' research is focused on cognitive changes related to...

In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer center, speaks with Dr. Diane Mahoney, assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Kansas Medical Center and member of KU Cancer Center's Cancer Prevention and Control research program, about ovarian cancer, a disease often diagnosed at an advanced...

Approaching cancer from unique angles and perspectives is crucial for gaining an understanding of this disease and optimizing treatment strategies for patients. In the Department of Radiation Oncology at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, our specialists work to accelerate progress toward more personalized and effective ways to treat cancer through research and clinical trials. In this episod...

Immunotherapy and cellular therapeutics represent the future of cancer care. These biological therapies involve manipulating the body's cells to reactivate and strengthen their abilities to attack cancer cells. Immunotherapy is a precision cancer treatment and is considered the future of cancer treatment by the National Cancer Institute. Other, more traditional, types of cancer treatment include s...

Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or rectal cancer, is one of the most treatable cancers when found early. However, it is also the most common type of gastrointestinal cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. For decades, colorectal cancer was most often diagnosed in people aged 50 and over. More recently, the incidence of colorectal cancer has declin...

On this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, sits down for a conversation with Drs. Byron Gajewski and Devin Koestler, co-leaders of the Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource at KU Cancer Center. Just as a coach uses a playbook to strategize and make informed decisions during a game, researchers use...

With summer fast approaching, it's time to talk sun safety! In Kansas, cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of  skin cancer , increased significantly from 2008 to 2017. Protection from the sun's rays could prevent about 90% of all skin cancer cases. Since youth are especially at risk for overexposure to the sun with extended times outdoors, KU Cancer Center's outreach network, the  Masonic Cancer...

On this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, sits down for a conversation with Camy Crank, author of the book "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: What I Lost and Gained Through Breast Cancer." Camy's own breast cancer journey began in 2015, when a second opinion from KU Cancer Center showed stage 3B disease. In 202...

The University of Kansas Cancer Center's Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) program is a summer research program specifically designed for high school students living in Wyandotte County, Kansas and Jackson County, Missouri. The cancer center launched ACE in 2018 in collaboration with the University of Kansas Medical Center's Health Careers Pathways Programs and the NIH-funded Kansas Idea Network o...

Ed Elder is a staple in the Kansas City business community, as President of the Kansas City office of Colliers, a leading diversified professional services and investment management company, as well as an active member of the Kansas City community, which includes his service on the Board of Directors for KU Cancer Center's Cancer Funding Partners. He also formerly served as a board member for Coac...

Diet, nutrition and lifestyle are imperative components of a cancer journey, from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship care. Breast cancer survivor and author Barb Unell learned this firsthand after her own cancer diagnosis and treatment, and inspired by her experience, she founded Back in the Swing - a grassroots, non-profit organization with a mission to increase access to personalized, compr...

The holiday season is quickly approaching in the United States, and while it often is a joyful time of traditions and loved ones, it can also present additional demands and challenges, especially if you or someone close to you is dealing with a cancer diagnosis. On this special episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, we invited Dr. Elizabeth Muenks, associate professor at the University of Kansas...

On this special episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, join us behind-the-scenes at The University of Kansas Cancer Center's annual research week, a multi-day event bringing together members of our research programs and the cancer center community. More than 270 people participated in this year's Cancer Research Week activities, which included scientific presentations by our research faculty and...

Going through a cancer diagnosis and treatment can be challenging physically, mentally and emotionally. But there are actions that patients and caregivers can take at home to help ease some of those burdens. On this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, we hear from Kylie Stewart, a cancer survivor who joins us to share how her own diagnosis, along with her family's history of cancer, inspired...

On this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, host Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, speaks with Dr. Steve Scott, the recently named chair of KU Cancer Center's Community Advisory Board (CAB). The KU Cancer Center CAB includes community members and organization leaders from across the areas we serve, including the state of Kansas and western...

In the United States, cancer is among the most expensive medical conditions to treat. National costs for cancer care were estimated to be $190.2 billion in 2015. Several studies show that cancer patients and survivors are more likely to experience financial toxicity than people without cancer. For Dinesh Pal I. Mudaranthakam, PhD - assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics & Data Scie...

Weaving the perspective of our patients into our research is an important focus for the team at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, because it ensures our work centers on the needs of those we serve. Patient and Investigator Voices Organizing Together (PIVOT for short) is KU Cancer Center's program, which unites scientists and advocates to advance patient-centered research. On this episode of...

When a patient learns they have a potentially life-threatening medical diagnosis, such as cancer, it can often feel like there are more questions than answers. Getting a second opinion after a cancer diagnosis is a common and valuable practice, but it can also seem overwhelming to patients and their families. On this episode of the Bench to Bedside, host Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and directo...

This week on the Bench to Bedside podcast, host Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, sits down for a conversation with Dr. Bret Freudenthal , an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, to talk about DNA and its crucial role in the development and progression of cancer. While there are m...

Jeffrey Holzbeierlein, MD - physician-in-chief of The University of Kansas Cancer Center - joins Dr. Roy Jensen in the podcast studio this week to discuss the future of cancer care and research in our region. Dr. Holzbeierlein is the William L. Valk endowed professor and chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He specializes in urologic cancer surgery, especi...

You've probably heard the phrase, "food is medicine," but what does that mean when it comes to cancer prevention and treatment? Today Dr. Jill Hamilton-Reeves is joining Dr. Roy Jensen in the podcast studio to discuss nutrition and how the food we eat could aid in cancer prevention, as well as some of her current research into nutrition and cancer treatment. Dr. Hamilton-Reeves is a member of KU C...

With summer fast approaching, it's time to talk sun safety! In Kansas, cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of  skin cancer , increased significantly from 2008 to 2017. Protection from the sun's rays could prevent about 90% of all skin cancer cases. Since youth are especially at risk for overexposure to the sun with extended times outdoors, KU Cancer Center's outreach network, the Masonic Cancer...

Earlier this season, we shared a conversation on the podcast with Dr. Barrett Rollins, Linde Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief Scientific Officer Emeritus at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His recently released book, In Sickness: A Memoir , shares his unbelievable journey as Dr. Rollins discovers that his wife Dr. Jane Weeks, a prominent breast cancer researcher at Da...