Advanced Orthopaedics Center, which occupied the second floor of Medical Building F, the Cancer Institute moved into this area in 2023 increasing clinic and laboratory spaces to address the expanding needs of patients and providers. The Cancer Institute also began renovations on the fourth floor, which will increase infusion chairs and the oncology pharmacy. Over the years, access to oncology services for patients in the region has been increased by adding services at the UT Regional Health Centers in Sevierville, Lenoir City and Halls. Oncology services have also expanded at other regional sites including Turkey Creek, Maryville and Alcoa. In 2023, the medical center broke ground on a new facility in Blount County that included space for oncology services. The new center opened in June 2024 to better serve our patients in that region. To further provide access and education to those in our community, the Cancer Institute began its first dedicated outreach program in 1996. With grant funding from the Knoxville affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Cancer Institute established the Breast Health Outreach Program. This program remains operational today and provides screening mobile mammography services to women in 19 counties eliminating time away from work, home and family. Free screening is made available to those without insurance. The program, supported by multiple donors and grant funding through the years, provides easy access to breast cancer screening serving approximately 4,000 women annually. Because of these funding sources, two state-of-the art mobile units have been purchased (2005 and 2015). In addition to breast health education and screenings, the Cancer Institute offers free annual prostate screenings in collaboration with
urologists at the medical center. Other free or low-cost screenings (lung, oral, skin, and cervical) have also been offered in the community. Education programs provided by physicians and members of the team are available upon request. The Cancer Institute remains committed and involved in the educational mission of the medical center and UTGSM. In 2022, the Cancer Institute added two post-graduate training fellowships in the specialties of hematology/oncology and hospice and palliative medicine. In 2023, these programs welcomed their second group of fellows. In addition to the fellows, the Cancer Institute provides educational opportunities for medical students, residents, nurse practitioners, nurses and radiation therapists. In collaboration with the University of Tennessee, the Cancer Institute will soon begin a residency in medical physics within Radiation Oncology. Research, or discovery, the third part of our three-fold mission, has continued to expand along with patient care and education endeavors. While the Cancer Institute has for many years offered both National Cancer Institute cooperative group and pharmaceutical-industry sponsored trials, a formal Office of Clinical Trials (OCT) was established in 2014. The OCT provides the support and resources required to negotiate clinical trial agreements and provide dedicated clinical trials coordinators to assist clinicians and patients in initiating and adhering to clinical trial protocols. At any time, the OCT has approximately 50 oncology clinical trials open for enrollment. In 2019 after much planning, the medical center opened the region’s first biobank with oncology being the first specialty to obtain patient consent for the storage of blood, body fluids
Contents 2 Director’s Letter
5 Cancer Committee Chair’s Report
6 Gynecologic Oncology
9 High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
10 Patient Story - Cathy
12 Patient Story - Christian
14 Patient Story - Jennifer
16 Patient Story - Larry
18 Oncology Pharmacy
21 Comedy for a Cause
22 Research Opportunities at the Cancer Institute 24 Cancer Prevention and Surveillance
26 Transplant and Cellular Therapy
28 Cancer Institute Fellowships
30 2023 Philanthropic Impact
32 2023 Cancer Statistics
Cancer Institute Annual Report | 3
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