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Did you know that a cancer clinical trial is a research study that examines new cancer-fighting drugs, surgical methods, diagnostic tests, or methods for disease prevention? Clinical trials lead to new treatment methods, but this is only possible if patients participate in these studies. As an academic center and research institute, the  Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute offers one of the most robust clinical trial portfolios in the country. However, the mention of clinical trials often has an ...

McLaren Port Huron, along with its philanthropical arm, the McLaren Port Huron Foundation, are greeting the arrival of the holiday season with the 37th Annual Festival of Trees, a staple event in the community, with this year’s event debuting a Community Viewing of the Designer Trees and the return of the Teddy Bear Hospital. Designer Trees will be on display at the Blue Water Convention Center for the Black-Tie Gala Friday night, as well as the Community Viewing of the trees on Saturday. The Designer t...

Angela Gushow, RN, OCN, oncology nurse at Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Bay Region and Auburn resident, has been caring for cancer patients throughout her entire career – more than 22 years, to be exact. She is an oncology-certified nurse and participates in a train-the-trainer program throughout McLaren Health Care to ensure that the same standard of oncology care is consistently delivered across the system for every patient. However, it is her firsthand experience as a breast cancer survivor wh...

Gail Purtan suffered from metastatic ovarian cancer for the better part of two decades, and it was because of her diagnosis that the Purtans became involved with the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. Dick Purtan, Gail’s husband, celebrated radio personality and philanthropist, recalled that time. “Well, actually, it goes back quite a few years,” he described. After Gail’s diagnosis in 1997, Dick’s attorney and long-time friend, Henry Baskin, told him about a magnificent cancer doctor at Karmanos na...

When most people think of CrossFit®, they picture athletes lifting massive weights and competing at elite levels. But CrossFit® isn’t just for fitness fanatics; it can also be a powerful tool for healing. That’s the idea behind the CrossFit® and Physical Activity: A Better Life Experience (CAPABLE) study, which is helping cancer survivors regain strength, confidence, and quality of life. “I created CAPABLE because I believe in the impact that exercise has on wellness, both physically and mentally,” said...

Only life-long smokers are at risk for lung cancer, right? Wrong. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Every year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, making up almost 25 percent of all cancer deaths. About 80 percent of lung cancer deaths are thought to result from smoking. Despite its worldwide prevalence an...

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute welcomes Paige Aiello, M.D. , breast surgeon and member of the Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) at Karmanos. Not only does Dr. Aiello specialize in the surgical removal of breast cancer, but she also adds to the multidisciplinary team with a specialization in axillary lymph node surgery. She began seeing patients at the Karmanos locations in Detroit, Dearborn, Farmington Hills, and Roseville in July 2025. “The diagnosis of breast cancer in itself can b...

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute welcomed one new leader and appointed two seasoned leaders in 2025: Azeddine Atfi, Ph.D., Elizabeth Cunningham, MS, CCRP, and Benjamin Herring, MA. Deputy Center Director of Research Azeddine Atfi, Ph.D., has joined Karmanos as the new deputy center director of Research and a tenured professor of research at Wayne State University. With over 25 years in research education, Dr. Atfi’s research interests are uncovering the molecular mechanisms that drive pancreati...

Though he tried to stop dozens of times, smoking was part of Steve Hollenbeck’s life for decades. “When I was a teenager, the macho man had to smoke, had to be the Marlboro man,” said Steve. “I tried to quit probably 30 times, but when my wife, Nora, got throat cancer, and she quit smoking, I quit cold turkey. I didn’t want to smoke in front of her. That time it just worked.” In 2015, just two years after giving up cigarettes for good, Steve was stunned to find out that he had lung cancer.  “I was ...

Ralph Shaheen, local business owner of Shaheen Chevrolet, who is also an avid hockey player, suddenly felt pain in his chest when doing stretches against a wall at the gym. “I pressed against the wall and noticed it was sore,” said Shaheen. “I thought it was a hockey injury, since I play goalie. I thought I had been hit by a puck, and blew it off like most guys do. I kept thinking it would get better.” It didn’t get better, and he found himself at the Cleveland Clinic for an Executive Health physical ex...