DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've been diagnosed with myeloma. What can I expect going forward? 

ANSWER: Myeloma is a cancer that affects specialized antibody-producing cells called plasma cells. Over your lifetime, your body produces hundreds of thousands of different types of plasma cells that protect you from a broad range of bacteria and viruses. The creation of these cells is very precise. But sometimes, a cell slips through the body's quality control system and becomes cancerous. 

When this happens to cells in the bone marrow, cells begin to multiply and take up the space normally occupied by bone marrow, where red blood cells are produced. People with myeloma often experience fatigue because their bodies aren't making enough red blood cells. They also report bone pain due to cancer cells eroding the bone. Proteins produced by these cells can damage the kidneys too. 

Typically, myeloma affects people in their 60s, 70s and 80s. Once they've been diagnosed with myeloma, often by their primary care clinician, the next step is to see an oncologist to confirm the diagnosis. 

Further testing may reveal that they have a premalignant condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) or an in-between condition called smoldering myeloma. Neither of these conditions requires immediate treatment, so patients are monitored by their oncologist. 

Treatment options

If patients do need treatment, there are several options to effectively treat the disease, depending on the person's age, other medical conditions and which option is a good fit for them.   

With optimal treatment, myeloma isn't immediately life-threatening. Many patients live for years after their diagnosis, often receiving different treatments over the course of their lives. Treatments have improved so much in 20 years that some patients are able to reach a typical life expectancy. 

One of the standard treatments is a stem cell transplant, also known as a bone-marrow transplant. Stem cells are drawn from the patient, so there's no need to find a donor. A stem cell transplant can prolong control of the disease. 

Four drugs, in pill or injection form, also are used to treat myeloma alone or in conjunction with a stem cell transplant. They don't tend to cause nausea, vomiting or hair loss and are well tolerated by most patients. 

These treatments are: 

• Antibodies targeting CD38, an enzyme present in inflammatory cells and found on the surface of myeloma cells, are injected under the skin to inhibit CD38's activity. 

• Proteasome inhibitor injections affect proteasome, a cell component, from cleaning up excess proteins in the cell. Myeloma cells produce many proteins, and if the cleaning process is blocked, the cells die. 

• Lenalidomide, a thalidomide derivative, given in pill form, acts against the myeloma-affected plasma cells. 

• Dexamethasone, also given in pill form, is related to anti-inflammatory drugs like prednisone and cortisone. When exposed to dexamethasone, myeloma cells die. 

Over the past 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 25 drugs or combinations of drugs for myeloma treatment that have improved on previous options. In addition to drugs, there are two notable developments: chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy) and bispecific antibodies. 

In CAR-T cell therapy, a person's own T cells are removed and converted into CAR-T cells. They're shipped to a production facility where they're modified with an "anchor" that allows them to bind to a molecule in a myeloma cell. CAR-T cells are then reinjected into the patient. For about three to six months, they hunt down and destroy myeloma cells, eradicating many, if not all of them. 

Some patients may require only one CAR-T cell therapy treatment. One paper found that among patients followed for five years, about one-third never needed additional treatment. 

However, this therapy requires a specialized center, so it isn't globally available. But researchers discovered a way to create a similar treatment, bispecific antibodies. These can be injected into patients where these antibodies recruit the person's own T cells to hunt myeloma cells. These antibodies act like matchmakers, pairing T cells with myeloma cells. 

A common side effect of CAR-T cell therapy and bispecific antibody treatments is increased risk of infection due to very low levels of protective antibodies or immunoglobulins. So part of the treatment includes ensuring they have good immunoglobulin levels. 

Both treatments can, in some cases, trigger extreme inflammation. However, preventive therapies can address this issue. Also, a small minority of patients can develop a Parkinson's-like disease. But by carefully selecting patients and prepping them properly, that risk is greatly reduced. 

During and following myeloma treatment, patients typically can go about their lives. When to begin treatment, as well as the development of new therapies, continues to be explored. 

Rafael Fonseca, M.D., Hematology and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix 

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A: Understanding myeloma treatment appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Both men are alive today thanks to an extremely rare and complex surgery – a triple-organ transplant, including a heart, liver and kidney simultaneously.

Watch: Rare transplant turns strangers into friends

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:52) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Tony's story

Tony had always considered himself a healthy guy. You'd often find him out on the basketball court, playing with family and friends or just shooting hoops by himself.

Then, at 50 years old, Tony had to stop playing basketball. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Over the next decade, Tony underwent one procedure after another. Still, his health continued to decline.

Doctors told Tony there was only one option left – a triple-organ transplant, including a heart, liver and kidney. The transplant is so rare and complex that it is performed at only a limited number of hospitals.

Tony turned to Mayo Clinic in Arizona, where he found hope and a friend who would become his inspiration.

Hope comes calling

In 2025, Tony was admitted to Mayo Clinic. On the day of his triple-organ transplant, just hours before his surgery, Tony got an unexpected phone call.

"You're going to be just fine. You've got the best doctors and nurses," said Doyle, who was speaking from firsthand experience. Doyle is Arizona's first patient to undergo a triple-organ transplant, including a heart, liver and kidney.

Doyle called Tony to offer support and encouragement.

"You're going to feel a hundred percent better than you do today. I hurt, but I could tell a difference immediately," said Doyle, calling from his home in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. In 2022, Doyle traveled with his wife Billie to Arizona to undergo the milestone triple-organ transplant.

The phone call was just what Tony needed to hear.

"It helped a lot talking to somebody who has gone through what I was going through," says Tony. "Every day I thought if Doyle did it, I can too. He was my inspiration."

Billie also spoke with Carrie, Tony's wife, to share her insight on being a caregiver. "She told me I could call her 24 hours a day," says Carrie. "I called her quite a bit. It was so helpful to speak with someone who had already been through this."

The families stayed in close contact throughout Tony's transplant journey.

Even though the two men had never met, Doyle says he didn't think twice about reaching out to Tony.

"Calling Tony was the least I could do to help Tony to understand what he's going to do and what he's got to do," says Doyle.

Mayo Clinic – a leader in triple-organ transplantation

Mayo Clinic also performs triple-organ transplants in Rochester, Minnesota.

As of February 2026, Mayo Clinic has performed 13 triple-organ transplants, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

In 2024, Mayo Clinic in Rochester performed a highly complex and rare triple transplant, including a heart, lungs and kidney.

The patient, Mike Loven, had battled serious health problems since childhood. He had three open-heart surgeries by the time he reached his teens. Mike lives in Coon Rapids, Minnesota with his wife and two daughters.

Like Tony and Doyle, doctors told Mike a triple-organ transplant was his only chance for survival.

The triple transplant was a success. "I'm feeling better than I have in years," says Mike. "I'm walking up to two miles on the treadmill. I'm back to working. I feel great."

Strangers no more

It's been nine months since Tony's triple-organ transplant. Doctors still closely monitor his progress, but he's back at home, enjoying time with family and friends.

Tony is even slowly making his way back to the basketball court.

Doyle and Billie made a special trip Arizona to meet their new friends in person.

"We share such a special bond," says Billie. "I know we'll be friends forever."

Though Mike has not met Tony and Doyle, the three begin each new day the same way – with deep gratitude for the gift of life.

"I hear my heart beat everyday and remember my donor, I'm so grateful. Thank you to my donor and donor family," says Tony. "Every day is a miracle day."

Related stories:

• Harnessing the power of innovation and a patient's will to survive
• A rare cancer. A rare weapon. Curtis Jackson's inspiring story of survival
• Breathing easy thanks to the gift of life and a new lung transplant program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona
• Breaking the silence: Total larynx transplant on a patient with active cancer
• Bridging the transplant gap for indigenous healthcare

The post (VIDEO) Rare transplant turns strangers into friends appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Precision medicine is rapidly transforming modern healthcare. It's a personalized approach that tailors prevention and treatment to each individual — moving beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all model.

Colorectal cancer is one area where precision medicine is reshaping the standard of care for patients like Eric Minnesota. 

At 56, Eric was training for an Ironman triathlon when he got a devastating diagnosis — stage 3 colorectal cancer. 

Eric is sharing his inspiring story to raise awareness for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Watch: Transforming colon cancer care through precision medicine

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:10) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic" – Read the script.

Man on a mission

Eric has been an athlete his whole life. He's a soft-spoken man with a gentle demeanor and a never-give-up attitude that defines everything he does. "I've competitively raced mountain bikes for the last 20 years," says Eric. "I'm an outdoors person...hiking, fishing, camping, anything outdoors is what I really enjoy."

Eric's dream has long been to compete in an Ironman triathlon, one of the toughest endurance events in the world. Competitors must complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. That's 140.6 miles in one day.

"From a health point of view, I thought I was nearly at the top of my game based on my age," says the Arizona man. "I've been healthy my whole life — no surgeries, no broken bones...I've never taken a sick day from work in my 25-year career."

Toughest challenge yet

Eric was in the midst of training for Ironman Arizona. All was going as planned. Then one day, Eric began having stomach pain. He went to his doctor who delivered a diagnosis Eric never expected.

"He discovered a significant mass. He relayed to me that I should see a colorectal surgeon as soon as possible to have it evaluated and find out what the next steps should be," recalls Eric. Soon after, Eric got his official diagnosis — stage 3 colorectal cancer.

"The plan was to remove my colon and replace it with an ostomy," says Eric. An ostomy is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows waste to exit the body into a bag. It may be needed after colon surgery so the body can eliminate waste.

In preparation for surgery, Eric and his wife, Paula, turned to Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "The doctor at Mayo said a team of specialists would convene as a group to review my case. Mayo was quicker than I ever imagined. The following week they called me to discuss my treatment plan," says Eric.

Hope through innovation

Mayo Clinic's treatment plan included more than surgery as an option. The team explained that by using precision medicine, they were able to determine Eric was a candidate for a nonsurgical approach to treatment called immunotherapy.

"By performing genomic sequencing on the patient's blood and the tumor, we were able to identify a precision treatment approach, including immune therapies, that can sometimes allow a patient to avoid the need for complex and life-altering surgeries," says Dr. Jewel Samadder, a gastroenterologist and cancer geneticist with Mayo Clinic's Early Onset and Hereditary Gastrointestinal Cancers Program.

Immunotherapy works by using the body's own immune system to fight the cancer. The nonsurgical treatment is delivered in a series of treatments by IV infusion. "The treatment is surprisingly easy. To be truthful I feel guilty based on the type of treatment that I had for my cancer versus what other individuals go through. It's just a simple infusion that takes less than an hour start to finish," explains Eric.

Crossing the finish line

Eric crossed the finish line of his immunotherapy treatment in six months. The results were a success. A colonoscopy following treatment showed the cancer was gone. "I won the lottery," says Eric. "The stars aligned with my markers and the care team had the expertise. It was incredible. It was all a perfect fit."

"This is a perfect example of why patients come to Mayo Clinic and see multiple physicians in our multidisciplinary cancer clinics and our early-onset program so that we can understand the cause of their cancer, determine the best treatment approaches, including clinical trials, and sometimes avoid complicated life-altering surgeries when possible, as in this patient's case," says Dr. Samadder.

"As soon as we heard about immunotherapy, we had to try it. This aligned with his goals. I'm just over the moon," says Paula.

Eric was able to keep working and training throughout his treatment. He says his only side effect was mild fatigue. "We spent a lot of time together as a family. Just being able to maintain that quality of life through the treatment was irreplaceable. You just can't put a price on that," says Eric.

"We are so grateful to everyone at Mayo Clinic, especially our oncologist Dr. Christina Wu," says Paula. "I would be lost without her. Thanks to Dr. Wu, I have my husband here with me today."

Celebrating life and love

Eric is back to working on his dream of one day becoming an Ironman triathlete. "Giving up is never an option," says Eric. "You have to turn on the switch, and keep going."

As Eric and Paula celebrate life, they are also celebrating their love. "We just had our 32nd wedding anniversary. These moments, these struggles together, it all has just made us stronger." says Eric. "I'm grateful for Mayo, for everything. I came out a better person."

Related stories:

• Eric and Paula Minnesota with a special message to Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Inside a colonoscopy
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Warning signs of colorectal cancer in younger adults

The post (VIDEO) Transforming colon cancer care through precision medicine appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — A multi-institutional study led by Mayo Clinic and published in Cell Reports Medicine reports that pairing a next-generation immunotherapy with standard hormone therapy before surgery may help overcome a long-standing barrier in early-stage prostate cancer treatment. 

Immunotherapy has been generally ineffective for prostate cancer because the tumors are considered immunologically "cold," meaning they do not attract enough immune cells to mount a strong attack. Hormone therapy commonly used for prostate cancer, called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), can temporarily make tumors more responsive by drawing immune cells into the cancer. But that benefit is short-lived: the treatment also increases levels of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which act as brakes on the immune system and blunt its anti-cancer effects.  

In the first-in-human, early-phase randomized trial, researchers tested whether adding a next-generation immunotherapy to hormone therapy before surgery could counteract that immune-suppression. The combination reduced Treg levels inside prostate tumors. Patients whose tumors showed the greatest reductions were more likely to remain cancer-free during follow-up. 

"This trial provided a unique opportunity to test a new immunotherapy drug in patients who have localized prostate cancer. They don't have metastatic disease yet, but they are at high risk of reaching that stage. These are patients who possibly can be cured," says Casey Ager, Ph.D., a cancer immunology researcher at Mayo Clinic and first author of the study.   

ADT starves cancer cells of male hormones like testosterone, which they use as fuel. Desirable immune effects of ADT are cut short by Tregs, which normally keep the immune system from overreacting to substances and attacking the body. In the case of prostate cancer, Dr. Ager says they limit immunotherapy effectiveness. 

"Hormonal therapy brings many types of immune cells in that can attack and kill the tumor. But this comes with an equal and opposite reaction where Tregs also come in and suppress the immune system, allowing the tumor to ultimately progress," says Dr. Ager. He and a team of Mayo Clinic researchers collaborated with colleagues at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Bristol Myers Squibb to investigate whether suppressing Tregs could overcome this hurdle by safely releasing the immune system's "brakes" to help it mount a better response against prostate cancer. 

The study, which was designed to evaluate safety and biological effects, enrolled 24 men with high-risk, localized prostate cancer and found that adding the investigational Fc-enhanced anti-CTLA-4 antibody BMS-986218 to hormone therapy significantly reduced Tregs inside tumors compared with hormone therapy alone. 

"Selective Treg depletion in tumors has been a long-sought goal of the oncology field for some time. We had the opportunity to test a drug that's been engineered to better deplete Tregs than the drugs we previously had. It targets CTLA-4, which is highly expressed on Tregs, particularly within tumors," says Dr. Ager. 

The findings provide the first clinical evidence that an engineered anti-CTLA-4 therapy can deplete regulatory T cells within prostate tumors. 

Because the treatment was given before surgery, researchers also were able to analyze large sections of the surgically removed prostate tumors following treatment, rather than being limited to minuscule tissue biopsies, which harbor few immune cells to study. Dr. Ager says this rare opportunity allowed them to use multiple advanced technologies in parallel to map at unprecedented depth how this novel immunotherapy treatment affected the complex immune milieu of prostate cancer, down to the level of individual immune cells. This comprehensive look inside the tumor provided new clues about how the therapy affects immune cells, which patients may benefit most, and identified potential biomarkers to guide future trials. 

"These findings establish the clinical feasibility of immunotherapy in early-stage prostate cancer, and they provide an invaluable dataset from which to develop and deploy new, evidence-based immunotherapy approaches in these patients," says Dr. Ager. 

For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, review the study. 

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact: 

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Study identifies potential immunotherapy strategy for early-stage prostate cancer  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

A 27-year-old Arizona man now has new lungs and a wife after holding an impromptu wedding ceremony in a Mayo Clinic hospital ICU room — just days before undergoing double-lung transplant surgery.

Watch: New lungs, new wife for Mayo Clinic transplant patient

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:47) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

"I had always noticed that, despite being an athlete for my entire life, I never really had the same cardio endurance as my peers. And then later on in my life, it would come to light that I actually had this disease called PPFE, or pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis, a rare form of lung disease," says Mateo Franco, who lives in Mesa, Arizona.

"By July of 2025, I had to go back into Mayo Clinic in Phoenix because my breathing and my shortness of breath, my fatigue were at an all-time high. That's when they decided that lung transplant was the only viable route," he says. "They put me on ECMO in Phoenix. I got flown on a private medical jet to Rochester."

Dr. Sahar Saddoughi is a lung transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She performed Mateo's double-lung transplant.

"A patient on ECMO support is in critical condition. For Mateo, that was keeping him alive, and his only way to get disconnected from the ECMO machine would be to undergo lung transplantation," says Dr. Saddoughi.

Mateo's transplant surgery would be even more challenging because he had pectus excavatum, a condition in which the breastbone is sunken into the chest.

"I had a surgery to correct that in 2023, and they put two metal bars into my chest to correct the shape of my rib cage in my chest wall. That was one big reason why other hospitals had denied me for the lung transplant because it was too complex to have to deal with those bars, plus putting in new lungs," Mateo says. "I really don't think another hospital could have done what Mayo Clinic did."

"That's the beauty of Mayo Clinic. We take on these types of challenging cases, knowing there is a team of experts to care for these patients," says Dr. Saddoughi. "Obviously, there were certain intricacies of the case that made his case particularly difficult. First, he was very sick and inpatient out in Arizona. Two, he had multiple previous surgeries on his chest and right lung, which makes lung transplant surgery more challenging. And then, three, was his chest deformity and reconstruction of this post-lung transplant to allow enough space for his heart, especially the right ventricle." 

Mateo's college sweetheart, Isabella, was at his side in the ICU at the hospital as he waited for donor lungs to become available. A marriage proposal, followed by a wedding at Mayo, soon became a reality.

"We had been together for five-plus years. So, you know, staring down the barrel of a very serious surgery, we figured we wanted to go through that as husband and wife," Mateo says. "The night nurses came in early for their shifts, and they decorated this atrium for us as a little impromptu wedding chapel. They made these cute little rings out of beads. It's pretty much like we eloped. You know, not quite a chapel in Vegas, but it's the next best thing. We got married on July 26, and the transplant happened on July 31."

Dr. Saddoughi says the complexity of Mateo's case necessitated the involvement of a multidisciplinary team, both in an out of the operating room, including the Transplant team, Thoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, and Vascular Surgery.  

"We were in the operating room at least eight times during a two-week period," says Dr. Saddoughi. "This is the magic, I would say, of Mayo Clinic, truly in this case, because it's beyond one surgeon or one part of a team. It really involved a huge multidisciplinary team and also the support from Mayo Clinic in Arizona to safely get him here and to care for Mateo postoperatively, as well." 

"Everyone at Mayo Clinic, the care I got was just unparalleled. It was amazing. I know that the job is not easy, but they make it seem easy. They're so good at what they do," Mateo says.

"He had fortitude. He had the fight in him to get through all of this, and that's a big part of Mateo's success," says Dr. Saddoughi.

Three months after his double-lung transplant, Mateo left the care of Mayo Clinic in Rochester as a newlywed and returned home, where he continues to receive follow-up care at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

"For the first couple weeks, I would keep getting surprised by how deep I was able to breathe. Being able to do the dishes without getting tired, do the laundry — it's just little things, and it just feels incredible," Mateo says. "I would like to thank the donor and the donor's family. They gave me another chance at life, and that's something that I'll forever be grateful for."

"To know that he has that bright future that we wanted for him — that the plan that we tried to execute worked out. I mean, what better joy?" says Dr. Saddoughi.

"Dr. Saddoughi is a complete lifesaver, the way she, you know, took a chance on something that other hospitals, other doctors, said, 'No, we can't do this.' She said, 'Yeah, watch me.' And she nailed it. She knocked it out of the park," Mateo says.

And he's looking forward to enjoying his new life as a married man.

"Now that I can really function, the world's our oyster. We can do anything," Mateo says.

The post (VIDEO) New lungs, new wife for Mayo Clinic transplant patient appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

"How do you thank someone for saving your life? I was dying and Mayo Clinic gave me hope." In 2025, Randy Ramey underwent a liver transplant combined with double coronary bypass surgery, followed by a kidney transplant last month. 

PHOENIX — The Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic in Arizona achieved the highest transplant volume in history in 2025 by performing 917 solid organ transplants in one year, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Over the past five consecutive years, Mayo Clinic in Arizona has performed more adult solid organ transplants (heart, lung, kidney, pancreas and liver) than any other transplant center in the U.S. Mayo also previously received national recognition for performing the world's first total larynx transplant on a patient with active cancer.

As a result of this level of experience in Arizona, patients across the state and the Southwest have access to the best in transplant medicine close to home. Transplants are among the most complex procedures in modern medicine. Centers that perform them frequently are known to have lower complication rates and better outcomes because these highly skilled teams are developing the national best practices and know how to manage complications across the patient care journey.

"This milestone reflects the power of an integrated approach to transplant care and what's possible when extraordinary teams come together with a singular focus: getting the gift of life to people who need it most," says Bashar Aqel, M.D., transplant hepatologist and director of the Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Our teams in Arizona are supported by the depth of expertise across Mayo Clinic, allowing us to care for patients with extraordinary complexity while advancing transplant medicine as a whole."

Watch: Dr. Bashar Aqel discusses importance of organ donation

Journalists: Broadcast-quality soundbites are available in the downloads at the bottom of the posts. Please courtesy: "Bashar A. Aqel, M.D./Transplant/ Mayo Clinic."

Combined, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center, encompassing Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, is the undisputed leader in transplant medicine, delivering more lifesaving transplants than any other healthcare provider. Mayo Clinic's transplant volumes in 2025 show the demand for adult solid organ transplantation continues to grow as innovative techniques are expanding the pool of donors and hope for patients who are waiting.

"We are deeply grateful to the donors and donor families whose generosity makes this work possible and for the patients who trust us with their care," says Dr. Aqel.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Mayo Clinic Transplant Center
Mayo Clinic Transplant Center is one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the world. With programs in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, Mayo Clinic provides seamless, coordinated care across adult heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation. Guided by a commitment to innovation, research and education, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center delivers world-leading outcomes, compassionate patient care and advances that shape the future of transplantation worldwide.

Media contact:

• Carey Stanton, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post (VIDEO) Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic in Arizona sets a five-year national record for solid organ transplants appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

When Karen Koellner reached for her phone charger while in bed one night, she felt pain. Curious, she got up and went to her bathroom mirror to check — and her instinct told her something was definitely wrong. She found a lump in her armpit and knew it might be cancer.

The next day, she called her doctor, who referred her to Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus. Fear set in as she expected to wait days before getting an appointment.

Instead, she received a call within two hours.

Manual processes and paperwork are often part of healthcare, but these tasks can take valuable time away from patient care. They can also delay care for patients who need it most.

That is beginning to change.

Intelligent automation helps Mayo Clinic move faster and smarter. A new automation initiative is already improving the experience for patients like Karen, who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. An intelligent referral processing system flagged her case as urgent based on clinical patterns, prompting staff to reach out right away. Her appointments were scheduled across multiple specialties the next day, with care teams coordinating across states, disciplines and workflows.

"Being seen by an oncologist quickly was important to me," Karen says. "I was able to move forward with a treatment plan rather than waiting and worrying about the unknown."

The automated document referral system was developed at Mayo Clinic to triage incoming patient referrals using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in place of faxes, which had to be processed by hand. By eliminating one of the most time-consuming administrative workflows, the system shortens referral timelines and strengthens coordination across care teams. That means staff can spend more time focused on patients — and anxious patients like Karen experience less of a wait during the critical time between diagnosis and their first appointment.

"That is a crucial time period for patients with serious and complex medical conditions, when every moment truly matters," says Erin Layman, operations manager for Hematology and Medical Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "It's important to have an intelligent system that can pull information from multiple documents, summarize it and allow staff to quickly review for accuracy. That helps move high-risk patients through the process much faster."

Karen calls it a game-changer in healthcare.

"Automation for patients with time-sensitive, critical diseases such as cancer has the potential to save lives by getting treatment plans started as soon as possible," she says.

The system, used in multiple departments across Mayo Clinic, worked to Karen’s advantage. Now finished with her treatment, she says she's feeling much better and is grateful to be cancer-free.

The post From fear to a phone call in 2 hours, breast cancer patient gets care faster with the help of intelligent automation appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As the WM Phoenix Open prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of golf fans to TPC Scottsdale, tournament organizers and Mayo Clinic will offer media a behind-the-scenes look at the on-site medical operations that support one of the world's largest sporting events.

Ahead of the 2026 tournament, Mayo Clinic — marking 25 years as the WM Phoenix Open's medical sponsor — will host media in the tournament's medical tent, providing insight into how medical teams prepare for and respond to the predictable health needs of large, outdoor events in the Arizona desert.

The media access will include insight into:

• Medical staffing and preparation for large, outdoor desert events.
• Coordination with local EMS and tournament leadership.
• Common conditions treated in the medical tents.
• The role of trained volunteers staffing the Family Center to support parents and families with young children.

The access will include a look at medical staffing and preparation, how the tents reduce strain on local emergency departments and urgent care centers, how they provide convenient care on-site, coordination with other organizations, and the systems in place to support fan health and safety throughout tournament week.

Mayo Clinic's on-site medical team includes physicians, nurses, physical and respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals focused on addressing predictable health needs, such as dehydration, heat-related illness, sunburn, minor injuries and falls. Mayo Clinic also provides sunscreen for fans. Separately, the tournament's new Family Center is staffed by trained, nonclinical volunteers from Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Children's Hospital who will provide logistical and hospitality support for families, including wayfinding, basic amenities and a comfortable space to recharge.

"Mayo Clinic's role at the WM Phoenix Open is focused on preparation, teamwork and coordination," says Kristina Butler, M.D., chair of Community Engagement at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Mayo Clinic specializes in serious and complex care, and that expertise is exactly what's needed at large events. Most issues are minor, but our job is knowing when something isn't. That experience helps keep people safe and prevents small problems from becoming big ones."

The media access aligns with the tournament's broader focus on fan-first enhancements, including the introduction of a new Family Center for the 2026 event, designed to support parents attending with children.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contacts:

• Carey Stanton, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu
• Ryan Woodcock, WM Phoenix Open, 480-766-1221, woody@wmphoenixopen.com

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Transplant achieved the highest annual transplant volume in its history in 2025 by performing 2,065 solid organ transplants across its Arizona, Florida and Minnesota campuses, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).

The new record surpasses 2,006 transplanted solid organs in 2024 and 1,952 in 2023, reflecting Mayo Clinic's dedication to saving more lives through continued advances in transplantation driven by new research, technology and innovation.

"This number represents new beginnings full of hope for so many," says Julie Heimbach, M.D., transplant surgeon and director of Mayo Clinic Transplant in Rochester. "This incredible milestone is only made possible by the generosity of our donors and donor families, the resilience of our transplant recipients, and the unwavering dedication of our transplant care teams."

The record volume is encouraging, as the number of patients waiting on the national transplant list remains daunting. More than 109,000 people in the U.S. are currently waiting for lifesaving organs, according to OPTN data.   

To meet this need, Mayo Clinic teams are advancing the science and delivery of transplantation through initiatives such as:

• Exploring the use of stem cells to prevent organ rejection.
• Using normothermic machine perfusion to improve organ preservation.
• Expanding living donor paired exchange programs.
• Researching artificial intelligence to transform organ transplant.

"Our work doesn't stop with the patients we serve today," says Dr. Heimbach. "Through collaboration across Mayo Clinic teams, investing in new technologies, and continued research, we are working toward a future where we can expand access and help more patients receive lifesaving transplants when they need them most."

As 2026 begins, transplant teams move forward with gratitude for the lives saved and a continued commitment to those who are still waiting.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Mayo Clinic Transplant
Mayo Clinic Transplant is one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the world. With programs in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, Mayo Clinic provides seamless, coordinated care across heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and bone marrow transplantation for both adults and children. Guided by a commitment to innovation, research and education, Mayo Clinic Transplant delivers world-leading outcomes, compassionate patient care and advances that shape the future of transplantation worldwide. Mayo Clinic Transplant delivers world-leading outcomes, compassionate patient care and advances that shape the future of transplantation worldwide.

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed and evaluated MedEduChat, an electronic health record (EHR) that works with a large language model to provide accurate, patient-specific prostate cancer education.  

The findings are published in Nature Portfolio Digital Medicine and highlight a new approach to delivering timely, individualized guidance for people navigating a prostate cancer diagnosis.  

Cancer patients often face uncertainty as they process complex information about their diagnosis and treatment options. Limited time with clinicians can make it difficult for patients to receive the detailed answers they need to understand decisions that shape their care.  

This MedEduChat study demonstrates how advanced AI, grounded in Mayo-validated clinical data, can help bridge these gaps by delivering clear, conversational explanations based on each patient's own health record.  

Understanding the patient experience using AI 

Fifteen prostate cancer patients interacted with MedEduChat for 20 to 30 minutes as part of a mixed-method usability study conducted at Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona and Minnesota. 

Patients reported higher confidence after using the tool, with Health Confidence Scores increasing from 9.9 to 13.9 on a 16-point scale. Usability scores were also high; average survey responses ranked MedEduChat 83.7 out of 100.  

Patients noted that MedEduChat helped them understand their diagnosis in a more accessible way. The tool provided relief by explaining unfamiliar or complex terms in a clear and concise manner.  

The conversational format helped participants replace incorrect assumptions with medically accurate information derived from their own EHR.  

Clinician-evaluated accuracy and safety 

Wei Liu, Ph.D., a radiation oncology medical physicist, and three Mayo Clinic clinicians independently reviewed 85 anonymized question-and-response pairs. They rated MedEduChat's answers as highly correct (2.9 out of 3), complete (2.7 out of 3) and safe (2.7 out of 3). 

Clinicians also noted strong patient-readiness and moderate personalization, reflecting MedEduChat's ability to tailor explanations to each person's age, treatment history and cancer stage.  

Although MedEduChat delivered accurate and clinically aligned information, clinicians emphasized the importance of ongoing monitoring to prevent errors that could arise from incomplete or inconsistently documented EHR data.

The research team incorporated a multilayer approach to address these concerns and guide future system enhancements.

Combining patient-centered education with AI 

MedEduChat was designed with a structured educational model that combines closed-domain clinical data, semi-structured guidance and personalized interaction.

Patients can explore diagnosis details, learn about treatment options and side effects, and review lifestyle considerations and follow-up expectations. The tool draws only from validated sources, such as Mayo Clinic materials and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.

"This research demonstrates how large language models can be safely and effectively integrated into real clinical systems to improve cancer education," according to Dr. Liu. "By combining advanced AI with Mayo Clinic's electronic health records, MedEduChat delivers personalized, accurate and easy-to-understand explanations tailored to each patient's medical history."

Expanding AI cancer research 

The study team plans to translate this work into clinical use across all three Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Next steps include expanding MedEduChat beyond radiation oncology to additional cancer specialties. These efforts aim to make personalized AI-assisted education a routine part of cancer care.

This research was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for AI Research and Innovation, the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation, and The Kemper and Ethel Marley Fund in Cancer Research.

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About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center 
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining the cancer center of the future, focused on delivering the world's most exceptional patient-centered cancer care for everyone. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs in cancer detection, prevention and treatment to change lives.  

About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

Media contact: 

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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