When Kathleen Luft had colon cancer at age 45, her doctor recommended she be tested to see if the diagnosis at such a young age could be traced to something in her genetic makeup.

Kathleen knew about genetics and their role in hereditary diseases, and still wanted to know if her family carried a flawed gene. Thanks to a change in her coverage, Kathleen’s insurance now pays for the diagnostic test. Her results from Beaumont’s Cancer Genetics Program confirmed Kathleen’s fear of a flawed gene and led to a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome.

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The Beaumont cancer center in Michigan has launched national research of accelerated whole breast radiation treatment options for women with early-stage breast cancer.

The study, RTOG 1005, was developed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, a cancer therapy research cooperative group funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Beaumont enrolled the first patient in the study, a 51-year-old woman from Royal Oak, Michigan.

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A surgical team at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak performed Michigan’s first robotic-assisted nerve sparing retroperitoneal lymphadenctomy for testicular cancer on Feb. 29. The procedure was led by urologist Sanjeev Kaul, M.D., a robotic surgical specialist.

“Our team is pleased with the outcome of the surgery. We removed all the lymph nodes in the abdomen while protecting the patient’s nerves. Testicular cancer typically affects men in their 20s, 30s and 40s, hence preserving their sexual function and ability to have children is important,” explains Dr. Kaul.

Investigators at the Beaumont Cancer Institute, a cancer center in Michigan, are seeking men diagnosed with prostate cancer who have been placed on active surveillance, also known as watchful waiting, for participation in a national research trial. Researchers will study the effectiveness of a diet high in vegetables in slowing the disease’s progression.

“Most patients would rather be proactive in their treatment as opposed to a ‘wait and see’ approach," says Howard Korman, M.D., local trial principal investigator for Beaumont Community Clinical Oncology Program.

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