Bench to Bedside KU Cancer Center

With summer fast approaching, it's time to talk sun safety! In Kansas, cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, increased significantly from 2008 to 2017. Protection from the sun's rays could prevent about 90% of all skin cancer cases. Since youth are especially at risk for overexposure to the sun with extended times outdoors, KU Cancer Center’s outreach network, the Masonic Cancer Alliance, implemented Pool Cool, a program to educate young people on sun safety behaviors. On this episode of the podcast Ashley Adorante from Pool Cool is taking a break while visiting pools across the state to share her top tips for staying safe in the sun and preventing skin cancer!
After listening to this episode, we invite YOU to be a part of the podcast! We want to hear your thoughts on the conversations we have here, topics you’d like to learn more about and any questions you may have for our guests. Call our Bench to Bedside hotline at 913-588-3880 and leave us a voicemail, or you can email your comments and questions to benchtobedside@kumc.edu. Your comments may be shared on a future episode!
Links from this episode:
Learn more about the Pool Cool program Check your sun safety knowledge with this True or False quiz with Ashley on KU Cancer Center's Instagram Learn more about skin cancer risks and prevention

On this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, sits down for a conversation with Camy Crank, author of the book “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: What I Lost and Gained Through Breast Cancer.” Camy’s own breast cancer journey began in 2015, when a second opinion from KU Cancer Center showed stage 3B disease. In 2020, she learned her cancer had metastasized. Camy is also a member of KU Cancer Center’s patient research advocacy group, PIVOT, where she has been able to contribute to cancer research through providing the patient perspective. Listen as Camy shares her cancer journey, why writing about the experience was important to her and her family, and what she has learned along the way.
Do you have questions about cancer? Call our Bench to Bedside Hotline at (913) 588-3880 or email us at benchtobedside@kumc.edu, and your comment or question may be shared on an upcoming episode! If you appreciated this episode, please share, rate, subscribe and leave a review. To ensure you get our latest updates, For the latest updates, follow us on the social media channel of your choice by searching for KU Cancer Center.
Links from this Episode: 
Purchase Camy's book, "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: What I Lost and Gained Through Breast Cancer" Learn more about breast cancer screening at KU Cancer Center Learn more about cancer metastasis Become a member of PIVOT, KU Cancer Center's patient research advocacy program

The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) program is a summer research program specifically designed for high school students living in Wyandotte County, Kansas and Jackson County, Missouri. The cancer center launched ACE in 2018 in collaboration with the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Health Careers Pathways Programs and the NIH-funded Kansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence program. On this episode, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of KU Cancer Center, speaks with Dr. Lisa Harlan-Williams, director of the ACE Program, about this innovative initiative. Also joining the conversation is one of our very first ACE graduates, Jesus Gonzalez Morales, who shares how the experience shaped his career aspirations and how ACE impacted his life.
Do you have questions about cancer? Call our Bench to Bedside Hotline at (913) 588-3880 or email us at benchtobedside@kumc.edu, and your comment or question may be shared on an upcoming episode! If you appreciated this episode, please share, rate, subscribe and leave a review. To ensure you get our latest updates, For the latest updates, follow us on the social media channel of your choice by searching for KU Cancer Center.
Links from this Episode:
Learn more about KU Cancer Center’s ACE Program Learn about Dr. Lisa Harlan-Williams Watch this video where the 2022 ACE cohort and their mentors share some of their favorite memories from the program Read about another ACE graduate, Julie Gonzalez-Morales, in KU Cancer Center’s annual report, Beyond the Bench

Ed Elder is a staple in the Kansas City business community, as President of the Kansas City office of Colliers, a leading diversified professional services and investment management company, as well as an active member of the Kansas City community, which includes his service on the Board of Directors for KU Cancer Center’s Cancer Funding Partners. He also formerly served as a board member for Coaches vs. Cancer with the American Cancer Society. While Ed has been a long-time advocate for cancer research and treatment advances through these roles, the cause became even more personal when both Ed and his wife were separately diagnosed with different cancers, leading to them going through treatment at the same time. Ed joins podcast host Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of KU Cancer center, to talk more about his family’s story, how they came together to persevere through countless obstacles, and to share what he’s learned along the way.
Do you have questions about cancer? Call our Bench to Bedside Hotline at (913) 588-3880 or email us at benchtobedside@kumc.edu, and your comment or question may be shared on an upcoming episode! If you appreciated this episode, please share, rate, subscribe and leave a review. To ensure you get our latest updates, For the latest updates, follow us on the social media channel of your choice by searching for KU Cancer Center.
Links from this Episode: 
Learn more about Ed Elder Learn more about blood cancer treatment and research at KU Cancer Center Learn how to give back to KU Cancer Center Find more information on the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs Cancer program

Diet, nutrition and lifestyle are imperative components of a cancer journey, from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship care. Breast cancer survivor and author Barb Unell learned this firsthand after her own cancer diagnosis and treatment, and inspired by her experience, she founded Back in the Swing - a grassroots, non-profit organization with a mission to increase access to personalized, comprehensive clinical breast cancer survivorship health care, education, and medical research. Along with co-author Judith Fertig, they published the Back in the Swing Cookbook in 2013, filled with delicious healthy recipes, as well as evidence-based research in nutrition, exercise and holistic care from cancer experts across the nation. On today’s episode, we invited Barb and Judith to join several of the cookbook’s expert contributors from KU Cancer Center including Dr. Jennifer Klemp, Dr. Lauren Nye and Lori Ranallo, APRN, to discuss the 10th anniversary edition of the Back in the Swing Cookbook, the evolution of survivorship care and education, and how nutrition and lifestyle changes can affect your lifelong health.
Links from this Episode: 
Learn more about the Back in the Swing Cookbook Follow Back in the Swing on Facebook Learn more about survivorship care at KU Cancer Center  

On this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, host Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, speaks Dr. Simon Craddock Lee, interim associate director for Cancer Workforce Equity at the cancer center. Cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States, with a long track record of disproportionately affecting racial and ethnic minorities, gender and sexual minorities, rural groups and people with disabilities. The National Cancer Institute has recognized this problem and issued a call to action, specifically recognizing that Americans should share equally in advances in cancer research, and cancer disparities should be eliminated. One of the tools to reach this goal is to enhance diversity in the cancer workforce. Dr. Lee leads these efforts at KU Cancer center, in order to better represent the breadth of communities in our region experiencing cancer health disparities.
Do you have questions about cancer? Call our Bench to Bedside Hotline at (913) 588-3880 or email us at benchtobedside@kumc.edu, and your comment or question may be shared on an upcoming episode! If you appreciated this episode, please share, rate, subscribe and leave a review. To ensure you get our latest updates, For the latest updates, follow us on the social media channel of your choice by searching for KU Cancer Center.
Links from this Episode:
Learn more about Dr. Simon Lee Learn more about cancer workforce equity efforts at KU Cancer Center Read about the NCI’s National Cancer Plan and goal to optimize the cancer workforce