ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers will present their latest oncology findings at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, scheduled to be held May 30–June 3 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. The event, recognized as one of the largest gatherings in the field of cancer research, will feature 59 Mayo Clinic-authored abstracts highlighting advancements in cancer care.

Among the standout presentations are practice-changing studies focused on chemotherapy approaches, artificial intelligence (AI) applications in oncology, cancer care at home and new therapies for breast cancer and melanoma — all focused on improving treatment options for patients with cancer.

Highlights include:

Plenary Session: Randomized trial of standard chemotherapy alone or combined with atezolizumab as adjuvant therapy for patients with stage 3 deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) colon cancer (Alliance A021502; ATOMIC)
Presentation time: Sunday, June 1, 1:05 to 1:17 p.m. CDT
Session title: Special Sessions
Presenter: Frank Sinicrope, M.D., medical oncologist and gastroenterologist

Clinical Science Symposium: Perception and concerns of the hematology and oncology (HemOnc) workforce about artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice (CliPr) and medical education (MedED)
Presentation time: Saturday, May 31, 2:03 to 2:15 p.m. CDT
Session title: The Future Is Now: Innovations in Medical Education
Presenter: Guilherme Sacchi de Camargo Correia, M.D., oncology fellow (senior author is Rami Manochakian, M.D., thoracic medical oncologist)

Oral Abstract Session: Tissue-free circulating tumor DNA assay and patient outcome in a phase 3 trial of FOLFOX-based adjuvant chemotherapy (Alliance N0147)
Presentation time: Friday, May 30, 3:57 to 4:09 p.m. CDT
Session title: Gastrointestinal Cancer — Colorectal and Anal
Presenter: Frank Sinicrope, M.D., medical oncologist and gastroenterologist

Oral Abstract Session: [212Pb]VMT-α-NET therapy in somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) expressing neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) observation participants after one-year follow-up and preliminary report for expansion participants.
Presentation time: Friday, May 30, 4:09 to 4:21 p.m. CDT
Session title: Developmental Therapeutics — Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology
Presenter: Thorvardur Halfdanarson, M.D., medical oncologist       

Oral Abstract Session: NeoACTIVATE arm C: Phase II trial of neoadjuvant atezolizumab and tiragolumab for high-risk operable stage 3 melanoma
Presentation time: Tuesday, June 3, 2025, 10:45 a.m. to 10:57 a.m. CDT
Session title: Melanoma/Skin Cancers
Presenter: Tina Hieken, M.D., breast and melanoma surgical oncologist

Poster Session: Cancer Care Beyond Walls (CCBW): A randomized pragmatic trial of home-based versus in-clinic cancer therapy administration
Session time: Sunday, June 1, 9 a.m. to noon CDT
Session title: Care Delivery and Quality Care
Presenter: Roxana Dronca, M.D., medical oncologist and the site deputy director of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida

Poster Session: A pilot single-arm, pragmatic trial in progress of in-home versus in-clinic subcutaneous nivolumab administration through Cancer Care Beyond Walls (CCBW) program (connected access and remote expertise)
Session time: Sunday, June 1, 9 a.m. to noon CDT
Session Title: Care Delivery/Models of Care
Presenter: Dina Elantably, M.B., B.CH., oncology fellow (senior author is Roxana Dronca, M.D., medical oncologist and the site deputy director of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida)

Poster Session: Initial results of MC200710 investigating therapeutic vaccine (PDS0101) alone or with pembrolizumab prior to surgery or radiation therapy for locally advanced HPV associated oropharyngeal carcinoma, a phase 2 window of opportunity trial
Session time: Monday, June 2, 9 a.m. to noon CDT
Session title: Head and Neck Cancer
Presenter: David Routman, M.D., radiation oncologist

Poster Session: ALISertib in combination with endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2–) recurrent or metastatic breast cancer: The phase 2 ALISCA-Breast1 study
Session time: Monday, June 2, 9 a.m. to noon CDT
Session title: Breast Cancer — Metastatic
Presenter: Tufia Haddad, M.D., medical oncologist

Poster Session: Estrogen receptor expression in residual breast cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Session time: Monday, June 2, 9 a.m. to noon CDT
Session title: Breast Cancer — Local/Regional/Adjuvant
Presenter: Sarah Premji, M.D., oncology fellow (senior author is Matthew Goetz, M.D., breast medical oncologist, and the Erivan K. Haub Family Professor of Cancer Research Honoring Richard F. Emslander, M.D.)

For more information about 2025 ASCO visit: https://www.asco.org/annual-meeting.

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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 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.

Media contact on-site at ASCO:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, 507-202-8655, luckstein.kelley@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic experts present key cancer research findings at ASCO appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

International Thyroid Awareness Week is May 25-31

ROCHESTER, Minnesota— Globally, women are roughly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer. However, recent research shows that men face an equal risk. Mayo Clinic experts say that men and women alike should be aware of thyroid cancer risk.

The thyroid is a small gland located at the front of your neck. It plays a role in regulating the body's metabolism. Thyroid cancer happens when cells in the thyroid develop changes in their DNA. 

Worldwide, thyroid cancer is the seventh most common cancer, statistics from the Global Cancer Observatory show.

Most forms of thyroid cancer can be cured, and minimally invasive surgery may be an option, sometimes sparing much of the noncancerous thyroid gland tissue, says Dr. Eric Moore, a head and neck surgeon and chair of otolaryngology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and medical director, Mayo Clinic International.

“Some thyroid cancer, though rarer, is very aggressive and more difficult to treat,” Dr. Moore adds. “While these were once thought untreatable, we have made great strides in treatment of the most aggressive of these cancers, and our research and treatment have made transformative strides in the outcomes for our patients with these types of thyroid cancer.”

It’s not known in most cases what caused the DNA changes that triggered thyroid cancer: Exposure to high levels of radiation, such as radiation therapy to the head and neck, may increase the risk, and some types of thyroid cancer may run in families.

In the past, it was believed that women developed thyroid cancer more than men. However, more recent data shows that women are often diagnosed with a less aggressive, relatively non-life-threatening form of thyroid cancer: When it comes to advanced thyroid cancer, the risks are the same for both men and women.

"Men have a risk, and we're not catching them as much," says Dr. Victor Bernet, an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

The reason is unclear. But one theory is that women are more proactive about their health and seeing their doctor regularly, leading to more diagnoses.

"So, in actuality, they probably don't have as much of a higher risk than we thought," explains Dr. Bernet.

Thyroid cancer might not cause any symptoms at first. But as it grows, it can cause signs and symptoms, such as swelling in your neck; changes to your voice, such as increased hoarseness; neck and throat pain; and difficulty swallowing.

Most people with thyroid cancer that requires treatment will have surgery to remove part or all of the thyroid. Which operation your health care team might recommend depends on your type of thyroid cancer, the size of the cancer and it has spread beyond the thyroid to the lymph nodes. Your care team also considers your preferences when creating a treatment plan.

Operations used to treat thyroid cancer include:

• Removing all or most of the thyroid (thyroidectomy). An operation to remove the thyroid gland might involve removing all of the thyroid tissue (total thyroidectomy) or most of the thyroid tissue (near-total thyroidectomy). The surgeon often leaves small rims of thyroid tissue around the parathyroid glands to reduce the risk of damage to the parathyroid glands, which help regulate the calcium levels in your blood.
• Removing a portion of the thyroid (thyroid lobectomy). During a thyroid lobectomy, the surgeon removes half of the thyroid. Lobectomy might be recommended if you have a slow-growing thyroid cancer in one part of the thyroid, no suspicious nodules in other areas of the thyroid and no signs of cancer in the lymph nodes.
• Removing lymph nodes in the neck (lymph node dissection). Thyroid cancer often spreads to nearby lymph nodes in the neck. An ultrasound examination of the neck before surgery may reveal signs that cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes. If so, the surgeon may remove some of the lymph nodes in the neck for testing.

At Mayo Clinic, people with thyroid cancer are cared for by a team that includes a variety of specialties, such as endocrinologists; endocrine and head and neck surgeons; ear, nose and throat specialists; oncologists; radiologists; and pathologists. Team members have access to the latest technology, techniques and evidence, and weigh treatment options to create a personalized plan for each patient.

Among Mayo physicians dedicated to treating thyroid cancer, Mayo Clinic’s Advanced Thyroid Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic focuses on advanced and aggressive thyroid cancers. Mayo researchers are studying the full range of the disease, from early stages to advanced cancers, to constantly refine the understanding and approach to all aspects of thyroid cancer and help physicians achieve the best outcomes for patients.

JOURNALISTS: Global, regional and national statistics on thyroid cancer are available here (free log-in may be required).

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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:

• Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Understanding your risk: Are women likelier to have thyroid cancer than men are? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Editor’s Note: May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month 

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S.  More than 6 million adults are treated for it each year, says Dr. Michael Colgan, a Mayo Clinic Health System dermatologist in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer. In 2025, an estimated 104,960 cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S., and an estimated 8,430 people will die of melanoma, according to the American Cancer Society. When detected early, however, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is 99%.

When it comes to who may be most at risk of developing melanoma, it is often thought that those with darker complexions do not have to take the same precautions as those with fair complexions. The reality is that no one is immune to melanoma. 

While people with a darker complexion may have significantly increased protection from the sun, they are still prone to developing melanoma skin cancer. More commonly for those with a darker complexion, melanoma develops on the extremities — hands and feet — with worse tumors at the time of diagnosis and poorer subsequent outcomes if not caught early.

Skin checks

That is why it is incredibly important to become familiar with your skin and conduct regular skin exams at home. When performing skin checks, you'll want to look out for:

• A new growth on the skin that might look like a mole, bump or scab.
• A rough patch on the skin.
• A sore on the skin that won’t heal.
• Changes to a mole or freckle — getting bigger or changing color.
• Itchy skin around a skin growth.
• Pain around a skin growth.

Regardless of your skin color, if you notice any of the above, then you should see a healthcare professional. A skin check by a dermatologist usually only takes a few minutes, but that short time spent in the doctor's office could add years to your life if skin cancer is detected early.

For higher risk individuals, including those with a personal or family history of melanoma, people over age 65, those with a suppressed immune system, people that burn easily, as well as those who have light-colored eyes and hair, a baseline evaluation with a dermatologist is critical and then continued at recommended intervals going forward, as determined by your healthcare team.

Most skin cancers can be prevented by taking a few simple precautions to protect yourself from the sun. It is recommended that you wear sunscreen year-round and reapply during peak sun conditions. 

The post  Who should be screened for skin cancer? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Millions of people are affected by chronic dry mouth, or xerostomia, an agonizing side effect of damaged salivary glands. While chemotherapy and radiation treatment for head and neck cancer are the most common causes of this, aging, certain medications and other factors, including diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and HIV/AIDS, can also cause chronic dry mouth. Currently, there is no cure for it.

Mayo Clinic researchers have established the world's first biobank of human salivary gland tissue-organoids that opens the door to research to find a cure.

"This unique biobank resource overcomes a major barrier we've faced in the field, namely: limited access to standardized salivary specimens suited for salivary gland regeneration research. This collection provides a foundation for regenerative therapy development, especially for radiation-induced chronic dry mouth," says Nagarajan Kannan, Ph.D., lead author of the study published in NPJ Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Kannan is also the director of the Mayo Clinic Stem Cell and Cancer Biology Laboratory.

Nearly 70% of patients with head and neck cancer who are undergoing radiation therapy experience permanent damage to their salivary glands. People with this condition experience diminished quality of life from a constant feeling like cotton is lining their mouths. Besides being uncomfortable, chronic dry mouth can lead to difficulties with chewing, tasting, speaking and swallowing. It also can cause tooth decay.

"Chronic dry mouth can extend long after radiation treatments are complete. It's among the top concerns I hear from patients with head and neck cancer. Unfortunately, there aren't many therapeutics available commercially for these patients," says co-author Jeffrey Janus, M.D., an ear, nose and throat specialist at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

One promising avenue of research is the cultivation of rare regenerative cells to greater numbers that can help people someday heal and grow new, healthy salivary gland cells. The biobank consists of specimens collected from 208 donors. From this repository, researchers have already found biomarkers for mature, saliva-producing cells, and with the help of a high-resolution protein map, they have identified the potential tissue origin of rare, self-renewing salivary cells.

The research team also developed a radiation injury model, which paired with the biobank, provides an integrated platform to discover new, personalized regenerative biotherapeutics.

This is a collaboration between Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Department of Otolaryngology.

Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding. 

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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:

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

The post Mayo Clinic researchers develop first salivary gland regenerative biobank to combat chronic dry mouth appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. While many prostate cancers grow slowly and remain localized, other types are aggressive and spread quickly. That's why Dr. Carlos Vargas, a Mayo Clinic radiation oncologist, encourages regular screening. He says the goal of screening is to detect prostate cancer early, when it's still confined to the prostate gland and has the best chance for successful treatment.

"It's important to get adequate screening, and screening for prostate cancer is relatively simple. You can have a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test with your primary care doctor once a year, and with this, you can tailor adequate procedures based on your age and other risk factors," says Dr. Vargas.

The prostate-specific antigen test is a blood test used to measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen in your blood. High levels may indicate the presence of cancer, and other conditions may also increase this level. It's important to discuss with your healthcare professional if the prostate-specific antigen test is right for you based on your personal risk level and age.

Watch: Dr. Carlos Vargas discusses prostate cancer screening and treatment.

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video is available in the downloads at the end of the post. Please courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network. Name super/CG: Carlos Vargas, M.D/Radiation Oncology/Mayo Clinic

Who is at risk?

Risk factors include age, family history and race. The most common age is around 50 or older.

If you have a blood relative who has or has had prostate cancer or a family history of genes that increase the risk of breast cancer — BRCA1 or BRCA2 — or a strong family history of breast cancer, your risk of prostate cancer may be higher. In the U.S., prostate cancer is deadlier for Black men than men of other races. They are more likely to get prostate cancer and more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than other men.

"Early detection is very important. If we can find prostate cancer early, it is treatable and curable, " says Dr. Vargas.

Active surveillance

Not all prostate cancers need to be treated, says Dr. Vargas. Some cancers can remain under active surveillance.

"When we find very early prostate cancer, we can watch it for many years. And in case prostate cancer becomes more aggressive, then we can treat it there. The problem is when you are not screened, and then you find a very aggressive prostate cancer that is still localized, or it has already metastasized, in which case, the chances of controlling the cancer, curing you and saving your life are much lower."

In active surveillance, regular follow-up tests may be performed to monitor the progression of your cancer.

"That's why screening is very important and why we encourage screening for prostate cancer. It doesn't mean that you must be treated. If prostate cancer is found, we can then determine what is the most appropriate course of action for your prostate cancer based on your age and your risk group."

Treatment options

Along with active surveillance, a full range of treatments for prostate cancer is available, including radiation therapy; hormone therapy; cryosurgery; chemotherapy; and surgery, including robotic prostatectomy.

"One of the things that has really changed over the last few years is the management of radiation with patients with metastatic prostate cancer," says Dr. Vargas. "We have found that many patients with metastatic prostate cancer still benefit from radiation to the prostate."

"And we have also found that many patients who have just a few sites of metastatic disease, meaning that the cancer is not widely spread, can also benefit from aggressive treatment where we do a combination of radiation therapy and systematic therapy to put you back in remission where disease cannot be found, and extend your life," he says.

Another radiation technique includes intensity-modulated proton beam therapy with pencil beam scanning. Dr. Vargas says proton therapy is effectively used to treat patients with prostate cancer.

"It's a very localized treatment that allows us to treat the prostate, localizing the treatment to the prostate, hoping to minimize significant adverse events that may happen from the treatment," says Dr. Vargas.

Talk with your healthcare professional to learn more about prostate cancer screening and if it's right for you.

Related posts:

• "Mayo Clinic Minute: Importance of exercise for men with prostate cancer."
• "Mayo Clinic Minute: Prostate biopsy technique reduces infection risk."
• "Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Living as a prostate cancer survivor."

The post Prostate cancer: screening and treatment options appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

September marks the start of soybean harvest in Mankato, Minnesota, a busy time of year when farmers can't afford to be away from their fields for long. So, when Craig Smith, 66, began experiencing a burning sensation while urinating, he went to his family physician right away.

He was prescribed antibiotics, but his symptoms worsened. When Smith began to pass blood, his wife insisted that they drive straight to Mayo Clinic in Rochester — about an hour and a half away. There, Mayo Clinic physicians diagnosed him with metastatic urothelial cancer, or bladder cancer, which had spread to his spine.

Smith recalls receiving a phone call late that night from his Mayo Clinic doctor, who asked him if he wanted to just maintain his health for a few years or cure his cancer.

"I said, 'I'd like you to cure it,'" says Smith.

Seeking a bladder cancer cure

Smith's father had been a farmer, which was his dream too. But his father suggested he gain additional skills to supplement his farming income. Following his father's advice and encouragement from his high school welding teacher, Smith pursued his teaching certificate in welding. What he initially thought would be five or six years of teaching turned into a 45-year career developing welding programs at several local schools while also raising cattle and growing soybeans and corn on his 2,000-acre farm. Through his welding programs, he has trained several welders now employed by local manufacturing companies.

After his diagnosis in 2023, Smith took a hiatus from teaching and farming to focus on his cancer treatments at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, which included chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy.

Metastatic urothelial cancer that has spread beyond the bladder usually is considered incurable and inoperable. However, Smith responded well to chemotherapy and radiation to his spine, which made his oncologist, Jacob Orme, M.D., Ph.D., and urologist, Paras Shah, M.D., consider Smith for a new, surgical approach to treatment.

Smith proceeded with the proposed surgery and had his bladder, prostate and 36 lymph nodes removed.

"In Mr. Smith's bladder, we found viable cancer cells that would have led to a relapse. Now, however, he is nearly two years from diagnosis and remains disease-free," says Dr. Shah.

Smith's positive response to treatment and surgery has spurred a clinical trial testing this aggressive approach in other bladder cancer patients. Currently, 17 participants are enrolled, and the results so far have been promising.

Advances in cancer treatment, such as immunotherapy that harnesses the body's immune system to fight cancer and the identification of biomarkers in the blood or urine that show how well a patient is responding to treatment, are helping the physicians select who will benefit most from surgery.

"The impetus for this study is to attack the cancer from multiple approaches, including treatments that cover head-to-toe and treatments that are directed right at the source tumor," says Stephen A. Boorjian, M.D., who is the David and Anne Luther Chair of Urology at Mayo Clinic and a lead proponent of the study.

"We want to remove the root of the cancer after we've burned off the leaves," adds Dr. Orme.

A team of researchers, physicians and clinical trials staff expedited the clinical trial through an accelerated pathway called a Rapid Activation Trial. It's part of a larger effort at Mayo Clinic to launch new clinical trials swiftly and effectively.

"Shortening activation timelines allows us to make a difference to more patients and their families," says Michelle Monosmith, Mayo Clinic Office of Clinical Trials operations administrator.

The study is supported by a generous donation by Ronald J. and Carol T. Beerman to Mayo Clinic and has been prioritized by Dr. Boorjian and Chair of Oncology Elisabeth Heath, M.D., to achieve more cures for men and women with bladder cancer.

"Our only goal is to help our patients live better and longer," says Dr. Orme.

That's what Smith plans to do as he continues to farm, teach and spend time with his family.

The post Farmer inspires new potential bladder cancer treatment appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am thrilled to say I am a breast cancer survivor. It has been almost six months since I finished treatment. But I can't shake the fatigue. I was never a napper, but I find myself feeling desperate to close my eyes in the middle of the workday. I don't feel sharp in my thinking, and I fall asleep in front of the TV at night. I'm worried. How can I get past this stage? I want my life back.

ANSWER: Cancer-related fatigue can be distressing. It is a persistent, subjective sense of physical, emotional and cognitive tiredness and/or exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment that is not proportional to recent activity. It interferes with daily function and quality of life. Cancer-related fatigue is different from the usual tiredness we all experience. It's more intense, it's not temporary and it's not relieved by rest alone.

Several factors can contribute to cancer-related fatigue. The cancer itself can lead to fatigue. 

Some cancers weaken muscles, damage organs or alter hormones, which can cause fatigue.

Sometimes treatment damages healthy cells in addition to cancer cells. Treatments such as chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, hormonal therapies and radiation all may cause fatigue. 

Side effects of treatment may result in a blood problem called anemia, pain or stress, all of which can add to your fatigue. 

If you're not feeling well, your activity level may lower, which causes the body to decondition, causing fatigue. Preexisting conditions, such as anxiety and depression, also may worsen with cancer and play a role in fatigue.

Cancer-related fatigue can happen at any stage. It might start before treatment, become more pronounced during treatment, and sometimes linger even after treatment has ended. Everyone experiences this differently. 

The duration of cancer-related fatigue can be variable. For some people, it might improve a few weeks after finishing treatment. For others, it can last for months or even longer. It affects a lot of cancer patients but doesn't always get proper attention from healthcare professionals. It's important to communicate with your healthcare team about any ongoing fatigue. 

Treatments can include physical therapy and exercise guidance to help increase activity levels, medications, complementary and integrative medicine approaches such as yoga and tai chi, and psychological and mindfulness-based strategies to manage emotional stress and monitor fatigue levels. As every patient is different, a combination of these approaches typically works best.

While there's no way to prevent cancer-related fatigue, several self-care strategies can help boost energy levels, including: 

• Staying as active as possible, even if it's just light exercise. Start slow and find a routine.
• Eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated. When you have cancer, you may need more protein and nutrients than ever. Drink plenty of fluids, and limit caffeine.
• Setting a regular sleep schedule, taking short naps if needed, and finding time to relax and reduce stress. 

If you need guidance or you are experiencing fatigue that is not responding to these modalities, ask your primary care team for help. You may need help from family and friends to help with household tasks too. — Touré Barksdale, M.D., Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Rochester, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Beyond tired with cancer-related fatigue appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Editor's note: May is National Cancer Research Month, and May 20 is Clinical Trials Day.

A cancer diagnosis is an emotional experience. Learning that you have cancer can create feelings of hopelessness, fear and sadness. This is especially true if your cancer is advanced or available treatments are unable to stop or slow its growth.

"Often, when patients are diagnosed with cancer, they feel hopeless and scared. Clinical trials are one way patients can be proactive. They can make a choice in how their care is going to be," says Matthew Block, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist.

Cancer clinical trials help physician-scientists test new and better ways to control and treat cancer. During a clinical trial, participants receive specific interventions, and researchers determine if those interventions are safe and effective. Interventions studied in clinical trials might be new cancer drugs or new combinations of drugs, new medical procedures, new surgical techniques or devices, new ways to use existing treatments, and lifestyle or behavior changes.

Clinical trials provide access to potential treatments under investigation, giving options to people who otherwise may face limited choices. "Clinical trials open the door to a new hope that maybe we can fight their cancer back and give them a better quality of life," says Geoffrey Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic radiologist, nuclear medicine specialist and co-chair of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center Experimental and Novel Therapeutics Disease Group.

You will receive cancer treatment if you participate in a clinical trial. "I think one common misperception about clinical trials is that if you enter a clinical trial, you may not get treatment (receive a placebo). And that's actually very much not true. Most clinical trials are looking at one treatment compared to another treatment," says Judy C. Boughey, M.D., a Mayo Clinic surgical oncologist, chair of Breast and Melanoma Surgical Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and chair of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center Breast Cancer Disease Group.

"I think one common misperception about clinical trials is that if you enter a clinical trial, you may not get treatment (receive a placebo). And that's actually very much not true. Most clinical trials are looking at one treatment compared to another treatment."Judy C. Boughey, M.D.

Watch this video to hear the experiences of people who have participated in cancer clinical trials and to hear Drs. Block, Johnson and Boughey discuss the importance of clinical trials in cancer care:

Clinical trials are a significant part of cancer care at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. Cancer care teams work together across specialties to make sure the right clinical trials are available to serve the needs of people with cancer who come to Mayo Clinic.

"We are very particular in how we select the clinical trials that we have available for patients," says Dr. Boughey. "We want to have the best trials available for our patients. Some of the clinical trials are evaluating drugs — we are so excited about those drugs, but we can't prescribe those drugs for patients without having that trial. And so we will actually fight to try to get that trial open here to have it available as an opportunity for our patients."

If you choose to participate in a clinical trial, you will continue to receive cancer care. "For most patients that we evaluate, there's always the standard of care treatment option for those patients. And then, in many situations, there's also a clinical trial that the patient can participate in," says Dr. Boughey.

People who participate in clinical trials help make new and better cancer care available for future patients. The treatments available for cancer patients today exist because of the clinical trial participants of yesterday. "We couldn't advance medicine if it wasn't for people volunteering for trials. And the promise from our side is to say we're not going to put patients on trials or offer trials for them to consider unless we think there's a good chance that they'll get a benefit or that society at large will get a benefit," says Dr. Johnson.

"We couldn't advance medicine if it wasn't for people volunteering for trials. And the promise from our side is to say we're not going to put patients on trials or offer trials for them to consider unless we think there's a good chance that they'll get a benefit or that society at large will get a benefit."Geoffrey Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.

Participating in a clinical trial may give you access to cutting-edge treatment, improve your quality of life and extend your time with loved ones.

"It's definitely worth reaching out to your healthcare provider and asking, 'What clinical trials could I be a potential candidate for?'" says Dr. Boughey. "And remember, you can ask this of your surgical oncologist, your medical oncologist, your radiation oncologist, or any of the physicians you're seeing because there are trials in all disciplines. There are also ongoing trials that require the collection of tissue or the donation of blood. They can also be important in trying to help future generations as we continue to work to end cancer."

Participating in a clinical trial is an important decision with potential risks and benefits. Explore these FAQ about cancer clinical trials, and ask your care team if a clinical trial might be right for you.

This article first published on the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center blog.

The post Clinical trials: A significant part of cancer care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Scott Spaulding's relationship with Mayo Clinic in Florida started before he learned he had throat cancer. He'd been coming to the campus for liver issues and was impressed with the care he received.

"They were responsive, they were on time, they had so many resources available, including the latest technologies and equipment," Scott says. "It made an impression on me."

Still, when a spot on his neck — what he described as "a little BB under my skin" — led to a diagnosis of throat cancer, he initially went somewhere closer to his home in St. Marys, Georgia, for cancer treatment. About a year later, though, Scott's cancer came back, and his thoughts immediately turned to Mayo Clinic.

"I was already going to the Mayo Clinic, and I really liked it," he says."So I decided to talk to them about treating my cancer."

Because it was his "second time through with cancer," Scott wanted to make sure he did his homework. He met with the hospital where he was originally treated, another cancer center, and Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center to hear their plans for how they would attack his disease.

"I really wanted to be at the Mayo Clinic because I thought there would be a lot of value in having all of my issues treated in one place," he says. "But I also wanted to be really careful. Because I’m not a doctor, I needed someone to help me make these serious treatment decisions."

In Scott's opinion, Dr. Yujie Zhao, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center who specializes in head and neck cancer, presented the best case.

"She told me that because the cancer had spread from lymph nodes in my neck to lymph nodes in my chest, we should start with chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy first to treat my whole body and then do radiation therapy," he says, adding that Dr. Zhao explained it would be a multipronged attack on the cancer to kill cancer cells that had spread to other areas.

"Others proposed radiation therapy first," Scott says. "I wasn't sure which way to go, but Dr. Zhao did the best and most thorough job of explaining why we should approach it the way she proposed. So I told her, 'Let's get going.'"

"The outside recommendation for upfront radiation was based on the impression that the disease was a primary lung cancer," notes Dr. Zhao. "However, after a thorough workup, we confirmed that it was metastatic disease (or cancer that had spread) from the previous head and neck cancer, leading to a different treatment approach."

Comprehensive care for complex cases

Scott's throat cancer was challenging because it wasn't his only health condition, Dr. Zhao says. However, Mayo Clinic has the experience and expertise to navigate complex diagnoses.

"Head and neck cancer is a multidisciplinary disease," she says. "It requires working across specialties as a team to provide the care patients like Scott need."

After completing his treatments, Scott has been in remission from cancer for about a year. 

"So far, my cancer's all gone," he says. "You keep your fingers crossed, but you have to have a positive attitude about it."

Recently, Scott resumed some activities he enjoys, like golfing and fishing. 

"Going through cancer and treatment for cancer takes it out of you for quite a while," he says. "But it's better than the alternative, I'll tell you that."

The high point throughout the journey, Scott says, is how much help and support he has received from Mayo Clinic. 

"The resources you have available to you, the fact that they're all in one place is so helpful," he says. "I still have an issue with a chronic cough. A lot of times, you get scarring in your throat from radiation therapy. So they're trying to figure out whether it's nasal drainage getting trapped in my throat because of the scar tissue or allergies or sleep apnea. They're very thorough. They're evaluating everything. 

"They're also very honest. They'll say to me, 'Hey, you've got scarring in your throat. We may not be able to fix this 100%, but let's figure out what we can do to help it as much as possible.' I like that attitude."

The post Outdoorsman celebrates year in remission after treatment for throat cancer appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer caused by a buildup of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow. As the abnormal plasma cells accumulate, they crowd out healthy cells and cause symptoms such as bone pain and tiredness.

In 1980, Drs. Robert Kyle and Philip Greipp, Mayo Clinic hematologists, coined the term "smoldering multiple myeloma" to describe an accumulation of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow without any symptoms. Hematologists now know this condition usually has all the biological features of cancer and is associated with a high risk of progression to multiple myeloma.

Cancer researchers have since been investigating how, why and when smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) progresses to active multiple myeloma and what can be done to delay progression. 

Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar and Dr. Rafael Fonseca, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center hematologists, explain what SMM is and how treating it could delay or prevent multiple myeloma.

What is smoldering multiple myeloma?

The first phase of abnormal plasma cells building up in the bone marrow without causing symptoms or complications is a benign (noncancerous) condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Approximately 10% of people diagnosed with MGUS will develop multiple myeloma in their lifetime.

If abnormal plasma cells continue to accumulate and acquire additional biological abnormalities, MGUS evolves into SMM.

"Multiple myeloma is a malignancy (cancer) often associated with symptoms such as anemia, hypercalcemia and renal (kidney) failure. Smoldering multiple myeloma has many features of malignancy, but it is asymptomatic, so people don't know they have it," says Dr. Rajkumar, the Edward W. and Betty Knight Scripps-Edward C. Rosenow III, M.D., Professor of Medicine.

These conditions are more alike than not. "Through careful genetic analysis, we have learned that we cannot differentiate SMM from the active form of the disease," says Dr. Fonseca, the Getz Family Professor of Cancer.

When does smoldering multiple myeloma progress to multiple myeloma?

Dr. Rajkumar says researchers are trying to understand better when SMM progresses to multiple myeloma. "Some patients have low-risk smoldering multiple myeloma, which can stay dormant for a period of time but has a higher risk of progression than the precancerous MGUS stage, while other patients have high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma, which is more like full-blown multiple myeloma that is asymptomatic," he says.

High-risk SMM is more likely to progress to multiple myeloma than low-risk SMM.

"We expect disease progression in the first two years in about 50% of patients with high-risk SMM. After that, the rate of progression goes down, but we have followed patients from older clinical trials and found that the vast majority of people with high-risk SMM will eventually develop multiple myeloma," he says.

Dr. Rajkumar recommends that people diagnosed with MGUS or SMM seek care at a healthcare institution that specializes in myeloma and other blood disorders. "Patients need to be carefully evaluated to find out whether they have SMM, MGUS or active multiple myeloma. If they do have SMM, they need to know if it is low or high risk."

These questions sometimes require a second opinion. "Many of the referrals I get are from physicians and patients struggling with the question: 'Should we treat or not treat?' Even in high-risk SMM, the numbers and the condition's features matter. So, we are careful when counseling patients," says Dr. Rajkumar.

Is there screening for smoldering multiple myeloma?

There are no screening recommendations for SMM, so it is usually diagnosed by accident. As abnormal plasma cells accumulate, they release monoclonal proteins, or M proteins, into the blood. MGUS and SMM are sometimes discovered because a blood test conducted for another reason indicates the presence of these M proteins.

Dr. Rajkumar and other researchers are still weighing the risks and benefits of screening more people for SMM. Until they learn more, he does not recommend screening people with average risk.

"There might be some populations with high risk who should be considered for screening," says Dr. Rajkumar. "That includes people with two or more relatives with a history of multiple myeloma or people with African ancestry who have a relative with myeloma."

Hope for slowing multiple myeloma development.

Active surveillance is currently the standard of care for SMM. However, Dr. Rajkumar recently led a clinical trial to investigate whether treating patients with high-risk SMM could slow its progression.

"In this trial, we found that by the six-year mark after SMM diagnosis, 80% to 90% of patients in the observation arm of the trial had enough progression that many physicians would begin myeloma treatment," says Dr. Rajkumar.

Study results published in December 2024 showed promise toward a path to treat SMM. "The trial involved 390 patients with high-risk SMM. Half of the patients had careful active monitoring. The other half received daratumumab, a drug used to treat active multiple myeloma. The trial found that early intervention using daratumumab, which was given for three years, delayed progression to active myeloma and prolonged overall survival," says Dr. Rajkumar.

Dr. Rajkumar says multiple myeloma treatment often involves three to four drugs, bone marrow transplant and continuous therapy, which affect patients' quality of life. Slowing SMM's progression to active multiple myeloma also delayed the need for treatment. "The trial accomplished this with reasonable safety and without adversely affecting quality of life," he says. "This is a major finding."

"While there is still some debate about how to select these patients, I have no doubt this will be the future of timely intervention. Ideally, we'll be able to treat patients before they have to suffer from complications of the disease," says Dr. Fonseca. "It is because of rigorous clinical trials like Dr. Rajkumar's that we can start envisioning a brighter future for people with myeloma."

The post Smoldering multiple myeloma: What it is, how it progresses and the latest research appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.