Ruth Harper-Rhode

Patient Care

When Life Gave Linda Lemons, Positivity Led her to Walk the Wilmot Warrior Weekend

• Sep. 18, 2024

It's not what happens to you, it's how you handle what happens to you that determines your happiness in life. That's a motto that has brought Linda D'Antonio through challenges that include being ...

People

Wilmot Cancer Institute Names John Ashton, PhD, Associate Director for Shared Resources

• Sep. 4, 2024

John M. Ashton, PhD, MBA, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Genetics, has been promoted from assistant director to associate director of Shared Resources at Wilmot Cancer Institute.

Patient Care

A Wilmot Patient’s Quilt Project Gives Back to the Team that Saved Her Life

• Jun. 27, 2024

A special quilt helped Nancy Jaquish through years of treatment for stage 4 colorectal cancer. She recently visited to see the quilt on display at Wilmot Cancer Center - a gift she hopes will serve ...

Patient Care

Could Mobile App Help Identify Graft-Versus-Host Disease Earlier?

• May. 31, 2024

Stem cell transplants can help ensure remission for some cancer patients, but many of these patients experience a side effect known as chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Nurse-researchers at ...

Patient Care

Living Donor’s Generosity Offers Second Chance to Florida Man with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

• May. 28, 2024

When Tim McDonald, of Tampa Bay, Florida, found out he had stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver, self-advocacy became his focus. That led him to the University of Rochester Medical ...

Community

Resisting the Urge: How One Smoker Quit a Decades-Long Habit

• Jan. 5, 2024

Jack Pilarski, of Pittsford, represents a success story. He had been smoking for 60 years. After receiving information about Wilmot’s Tobacco Cessation Program, he decided to take the plunge. He ...

Patient Care

Immunotherapy, and a Refocused Outlook, are the Gifts that Keep on Giving for Melanoma Survivor

• Dec. 22, 2023

While many celebrate the season with gifts for one another, Jude Brock - a survivor of stage 4 melanoma - has a different take on the word “gift”.

Patient Care

New Issue of Dialogue Hits Mailboxes: Meet the New Chief of Pediatric Oncology

• Dec. 14, 2023

The latest issue of Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Dialogue magazine focuses on pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancers.

Patient Care

Breast Cancer Survivor Says She Found Stability in the “Village” at Wilmot

• Jul. 28, 2023

Cheryl Rivers is used to being a rock to the people around her. She’s a hardworking mom who raised two children on her own. But after a stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis, she had trouble finding ...

Patient Care

Be Proactive, Be Protected: Breast Imaging Specialist Shares Insights on Breast Cancer Screening

• Jun. 12, 2023

Many women understand that screening for breast cancer is a key way to find the cancer early and reduce your chances of dying from it. But the details of when to start and how often to be screened ...

Patient Care

Supporting One Another Through Sharing: Stories of Cancer Survivorship from Strong West

• Jun. 4, 2023

Finding out you have cancer is scary. Stories – both reading stories and telling stories – can help with that healing process. Meet a few cancer survivors from UR Medicine's Strong West location.

Patient Care

A Second Chance from a Stranger: Leukemia Survivor Celebrates 25 Years, Looks Forward to Wedding

• Jun. 2, 2023

A quarter-century of cancer survivorship. That’s what Chris Costello is looking at. He credits it to a man who started out as a stranger but who, in the last 25 years, has become so close that he’ll ...

Patient Care

Cancer and Your Mental Health: Tips from An Expert in Oncology and Psychiatry

• May. 25, 2023

What should cancer patients know when it comes to mental health? Dr. Daniel McFarland shares his answers to a few questions on the topic.

Patient Care

What Is It like to be an Oncology Nurse? Three Longtime Wilmot Nurses Give an Inside Scoop

• May. 9, 2023

Despite the changes that have occurred in medicine in recent decades, connection remains a key part of oncology nursing. What is it really like to be an oncology nurse? Three of our nurses shared ...

Patient Care

Wilmot Cancer Institute to Host First-Ever Wilmot Warrior Weekend This Fall

• Apr. 14, 2023

Wilmot Cancer Institute will host its first Wilmot Warrior Weekend Friday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 1. The event features the inaugural Wilmot Breakaway Ride – Wilmot’s first-ever cycling event ...

Patient Care

How a ‘Marathon’ is Helping Leukemia Patient’s Mindset: Mike’s Story

• Jan. 30, 2023

Over the past 20 years, Mike Reinhardt has run races all over the country, but the marathon he completed on Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Sixth Floor (WCC6) has a special meaning because it’s kept him ...

Education

Geriatric Oncology Team Develops Student Enrichment Program

• Jul. 1, 2022

A Wilmot Cancer Institute team is working to remove some of the barriers that may prevent those underrepresented in academic research careers from continuing on in the field through a new student ...

Patient Care

‘World’s Greatest Tuba-Playing Car Salesman’ Bounces Back after Leukemia, Thanks to Wilmot Team

• Jul. 1, 2022

Returning home after a Father’s Day trip to New York City with his daughter in 2016, Scott Kesel thought he had come down with the flu. Bloodwork showed his blood platelets were lower than normal and ...

Patient Care

What All Cancer Survivors Should Know About Genetic Testing

• Jun. 27, 2022

It’s one of the most common questions to have after finding out you have cancer, especially if others in your family have had cancer, too: How did I get cancer and could it have been passed from a ...

Patient Care

Changing a Family’s Fate: Genetic Testing Empowers Cancer Survivor to Help His Loved Ones

• Jun. 17, 2022

Dan Hellmers knew a lot of people in his family had died from cancer. But the gravity of the situation never really hit him until he saw a list of all of their names and cancer types spelled out ...

Patient Care

Miracle Kids 2022: Callan DiAntonio

• Jun. 8, 2022

After being diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia, newborn Callan DiAntonio came through treatment thanks to the team of experts and supportive family surrounding him.

Patient Care

After Life-Saving Treatment for Leukemia, One Patient Pays it Forward

• Jun. 1, 2022

Ralph Olney says his chances of surviving a second stem cell transplant were low, but thanks to his team and divine intervention, he made it through. He decided to give back to the place that gave ...

Patient Care

With Months to Live, Immunotherapy Gives Patient with Esophageal Cancer More Time

• May. 26, 2022

For John Joslyn, a patient with stage 4 esophageal cancer, traditional treatment methods weren’t working. With standard chemotherapy, it was estimated he may have had six months to live and he needed ...

Community

More Than a Shopping Spree: How a Visit to the Mall Can Offer an Education on Colorectal Cancer

• Mar. 1, 2022

Beginning March 4, the Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (COE) at Wilmot Cancer Institute will launch a new initiative with a unique place to make connections: a kiosk at the Mall at Greece ...

Education

Summer Internship Program Helps Wilmot Blaze a More Diverse Path in Oncology

• Feb. 8, 2022

The oncology field has a diversity problem. It’s no secret and there are no easy solutions, but Wilmot's Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) program wants to do its part to ...

People

Candice Lucas Joins Wilmot’s COE Team in Brand-New Leadership Role

• Jan. 10, 2022

The Wilmot Community Outreach & Engagement (COE) Office has named Candice Lucas, Ed.D., M.B.A., Chief Community Impact Officer, a new role at Wilmot.

Patient Care

Genetics Program at Wilmot Helps Five-Time Cancer Survivor Continue to Live Life Fully

• Dec. 1, 2021

Mary Lou Morgan suspected hereditary reasons could lie beneath her strong personal and family cancer history, but she didn't have a way to prove it, until she met the team at Wilmot's Hereditary ...

Patient Care

Looking at the Lungs: Getting More People Screened for the Region’s Deadliest Cancer

• Nov. 29, 2021

An expanded Lung Cancer Screening Program at UR Medicine aims to encourage more people who are eligible to get screened for lung cancer.

Patient Care

Patient with Stage 4 ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Hasn’t Skipped a Beat, Thanks to Targeted Therapy

• Nov. 4, 2021

Before Jeff Clark received an unexpected lung cancer diagnosis at age 42, he and his wife Kathy weren’t familiar with the disease. But ever since Jeff’s diagnosis in 2013 – received while Kathy was ...

Patient Care

‘We All Have That Power’: Willie Lightfoot Gets Screened for Colorectal Cancer, Encourages Others

• Oct. 27, 2021

Rochester City Councilmember Willie Lightfoot knows first hand the devastation cancer can cause. That's why he decided to get screened for colorectal cancer.

Patient Care

Cancer Survivor Climbs Highest Peak in Northeast to Celebrate Stem Cell Transplant Anniversary

• Oct. 8, 2021

Alan Bushnell not only survived myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) but was lucky enough to cross a 10-year milestone since having a stem cell transplant. He celebrated by lacing up his boots and climbing ...

Community

What is Wilmot's Current Visitor Policy?

• Aug. 24, 2021

We understand how important loved ones are when it comes to cancer. However, people with cancer are among the most vulnerable when it comes to COVID-19.

Patient Care

What Cancer Patients Should Know About a Third COVID Vaccine Dose

• Aug. 19, 2021

The CDC recently announced new recommendations encouraging those who are immunocompromised to get a third vaccine to help boost their immunity to COVID-19. Cancer patients may have questions, and ...

Education

Wilmot Hosts Deaf High School Students for Internship, Inspiring New Career Possibilities

• Aug. 13, 2021

A new internship program at UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute introduced Rochester School for the Deaf students to oncology and medicine, in hopes of inspiring them to see careers in medicine and ...

Patient Care

Trying to Quit Smoking? One Patient Succeeded with Some ‘Totally Different’ Support

• Jul. 28, 2021

When Tracy Downs decided to quit smoking, she had little faith that it would actually happen. But then she met Patty Mallaber, ANP-BC, in Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Tobacco Dependence Treatment ...

Patient Care

A Love Story Written in the Stars: Wilmot Team Helps Couple Marry Despite Cancer

• Jul. 23, 2021

With help from their team at Wilmot Cancer Institute, a couple living with cancer achieved their dream of getting married.

Patient Care

Thanks to Compassionate Care and Due Diligence, Colon Cancer Survivor Looks Forward

• Jul. 13, 2021

Joe Franch had just had his colonoscopy three years ago, so he thought there was no way the blood in his stool could be cancer. But when he stayed on top of his symptoms, he learned the news: he had ...

Patient Care

It's Men’s Health Month: Be Your Own Advocate and Know Family History, Says Prostate Cancer Survivor

• Jun. 20, 2021

Tim McConnell has always been an advocate for his own health, and he knew he had a higher chance of developing prostate cancer because his father had two prostate cancer surgeries during the course ...

Patient Care

Finding Family and France, Figuratively: One Lymphoma Patient's Stem Cell Transplant Story

• Jun. 3, 2021

Jodi Lown has always dreamt of going to France. She had no idea a lymphoma diagnosis would bring France to her, in the form of a stem cell transplant, or that she would find a way to return an active ...

Patient Care

Clinical Trials Gave Wilmot Multiple Myeloma Patient 18 Years - and He's Not Done Counting

• May. 20, 2021

There’s a misconception that, when a cancer patient is offered a clinical trial, the end is near. But multiple myeloma survivor Alan Brandon is living proof dispelling that notion.

Patient Care

Walk This Way: Program on Wilmot Inpatient Unit Encourages Patients to Get Moving

• Apr. 23, 2021

Launched by Megan Donovan, RN, the Walk n’ Roll program on Wilmot’s Hematology/Oncology Unit on the seventh floor (WCC7) encourages patients to walk more during their hospitalization.

Education

First-Ever Oncology Internship Program Aims to Boost Diversity in Cancer Care Workforce

• Apr. 13, 2021

The University of Rochester has been selected by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) as one of five host schools to participate in the inaugural Oncology Summer Internship (OSI) program ...

Patient Care

Wilmot Redesigned: How Wilmot is Staying Safe during COVID-19 and the Reopening

• Feb. 15, 2021

We know you may feel anxious about coming into the hospital or to one of our locations, and we want you to know that we have made a number of changes at our locations to ensure the safety of our ...

Patient Care

Cancer and the COVID-19 Vaccine: What Cancer Patients Should Know

• Feb. 11, 2021

With so much information (and misinformation) online, your Wilmot Cancer Institute team is here to provide facts and guidance. Here are a few common questions and answers cancer patients have when it ...

People

Ruth O’Regan Joins URMC, Will Lead Wilmot’s Education Efforts

• Feb. 1, 2021

In addition to her role as URMC's Charles A. Dewey Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine, Ruth O'Regan, M.D., will serve as Wilmot Cancer Institute's Associate Director for Mentoring and ...

People

Wilmot Welcomes Executive Director for Advancement

• Jan. 27, 2021

Clare Flanagan has joined Wilmot Cancer Institute as the new Executive Director for Advancement.

Community

Wilmot Launches New Fully-Remote Smoking Cessation Program with Free Medications in 27-County Region

• Dec. 16, 2020

Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Community Outreach and Engagement office (COE) has launched a new fully-remote program to support smokers with quitting, using free nicotine replacement therapy medications ...

Patient Care

How to Quit Smoking During the Coronavirus Pandemic

• Nov. 19, 2020

COVID-19 presents yet another good reason to quit smoking. But with the extra stress, anxiety and boredom that the pandemic has thrust upon us, quitting may seem like too big of a hill to climb. ...

Patient Care

When Motherhood, Breast Cancer and COVID Collide: How One Local Teacher Persists Despite Challenges

• Oct. 16, 2020

While every pregnancy is unpredictable, Colleen Molina had no idea the upheaval she was about to face. In February 2020, she found out she had breast cancer, mere weeks before her second child was ...

Patient Care

From Nine States, Wilmot Warrior Walk Team Marty Unites Virtually

• Aug. 21, 2020

After participating in the Wilmot Warrior Walk with friends in September 2019, Cyndi Lembo felt inspired. She pledged that next year, she’d create a team in honor of her late husband, Marty. COVID-19 ...

Patient Care

Shared Heroism: Greece Firefighters Donate Bell to WCI Greece

• Jul. 30, 2020

After learning WCI Greece Radiation Oncology didn’t have a bell, the Ridge Road Fire District decided they wanted to help – and many came through to make a bell possible.

Community

The Eighth Annual Wilmot Warrior Walk Goes Virtual!

• Jul. 9, 2020

In light of COVID-19, Wilmot Cancer Institute will shift its annual 5K, 10K and 1-mile walk/run to a new format, taking place Sept. 12 and 13.

Research

Wilmot Researchers Present Work at Virtual ASCO

• May. 29, 2020

Due to COVID-19, the American Clinical Society of Oncology (ASCO) replaced its annual meeting in Chicago, attended by thousands, with a three-day virtual event, May 29 through 31. ASCO is one of the ...

Patient Care

A Mother-Daughter Gift: Nursing Creates Special Bond

• May. 10, 2020

Colleen Bayer was born while her mother, Kathryn Lechner, completed nursing school. Perhaps it’s serendipitous that years later, as Bayer decided her own path, she turned to nursing.

Patient Care

COVID-19 and Cancer: Frequently Asked Questions

• Mar. 19, 2020

Here are some answers to some common questions about COVID-19 and what you can do.

Patient Care

Friendly, Comfortable yet Cutting-Edge: A Breast Cancer Patient's Experience at Pluta Cancer Center

• Feb. 13, 2020

Joanne Paratore's friends thought she was crazy for driving four hours, round-trip to get breast cancer care. Joanne's response? "Come with me one time."

Patient Care

A Scientific Approach to Breast Cancer: One Survivor Shares Her Thought Process

• Jan. 10, 2020

As a biology major, Lorna Wright knows what cancer looks like, and she recognized it when it popped up on the screen in her own ultrasound. A scientific approach to decision-making helped her through ...

Patient Care

Larry Brown

• Dec. 19, 2019

Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Patient Care

Elise Gaudino

• Dec. 13, 2019

Glioblastoma

Patient Care

Joseph Valentino

• Nov. 22, 2019

Metastatic Melanoma

Patient Care

Brian Fitzgerald

• Nov. 22, 2019

Lung cancer

Patient Care

After Colon Cancer Diagnosis, Kindness and Immunotherapy Help Young Patient

• Nov. 22, 2019

There’s no sugarcoating it: A stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis at any age is scary. In your thirties, it’s downright traumatizing. Colleen Farrell felt the mental, emotional and physical trauma ...

Patient Care

Kelly Donley

• Nov. 11, 2019

Glioblastoma

Patient Care

Lisa Giles

• Oct. 25, 2019

Breast cancer

Patient Care

Could I Have a BRCA Gene Mutation? Genetic Testing May Help You Find Out.

• Aug. 21, 2019

One local woman recently learned she has the BRCA2 mutation, after meeting with genetic counselors through Wilmot’s Hereditary Cancer Screening and Risk Reduction Program. She shared her experience.

Patient Care

Ed Baird

• Jun. 28, 2019

Tonsil Cancer

Patient Care

Jason Anderson

• Jun. 25, 2019

Pancreatic Cancer 

Patient Care

Registration Opens for Seventh Annual Wilmot Warrior Walk

• Jun. 6, 2019

UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute will host its seventh annual Wilmot Warrior Walk on Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Highland Park Bowl in Rochester. Registration is now open for the annual event that ...

Patient Care

Barbara McCreary

• May. 31, 2019

Multiple Myeloma

Patient Care

Spinach & Romaine Salad w/ Creamy Garden Fresh Dressing

• May. 13, 2019

This flavorful and fresh dressing elevates this green salad to something special. The Garden Fresh Gremolata olive oil is infused with parsley, garlic and mint, which complements the flavor of the ...

Patient Care

Farro, Cherry Tomato and Arugula Salad

• May. 10, 2019

This hearty and healthy whole-grain salad can be a side dish or entrée. It starts with farro, an ancient relative of modern-day wheat that is full of dietary fiber and is dressed with a homemade ...

Patient Care

Southern Tier Cancer Care Joins UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute

• Apr. 4, 2019

Neeta Soni, M.D., of Southern Tier Cancer Care in Olean is joining UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute as Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine effective May 1, 2019. A board-certified medical ...

Patient Care

Overnight Oats

• Mar. 22, 2019

Overnight oats are a super-easy way to get the benefits of oatmeal without as much fuss or mess. Oats are packed with fiber, which is an important part of our diet. In fact, eating a diet with plenty ...

Patient Care

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Hemp Seed Caesar Dressing

• Mar. 18, 2019

Pump up your salad with this version that features kale and quinoa! Kale comes packed with nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy, and quinoa has loads of plant-based protein. Topped with this ...

Patient Care

Wilmot Cancer Institute to Host Survivorship Symposium Focused on Cancer’s Impact on Family

• Mar. 15, 2019

UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute will host its 2019 Survivorship Symposium on Saturday, April 13. Open to all, this day-long event aims to share strategies to help enrich quality of life during ...

Patient Care

3-Ingredient Choco Chip Cookies

• Mar. 13, 2019

When that craving for a cookie hits but you want to keep it healthy, these super-easy chocolate chip cookies come together in seconds – in the microwave! Bananas have potassium our bodies need, and ...

Patient Care

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

• Mar. 6, 2019

Traditional gnocchi is made using potatoes, but using sweet potatoes and ricotta cheese creates a delicious combination with fewer carbohydrates. Perfect with a sweet drizzle, such as maple syrup or ...

Patient Care

Quinoa Power Bowl with Hemp Seed Caesar Dressing

• Mar. 4, 2019

This dish is packed with plant-based protein! These bowls are also loaded with antioxidants and healthy fats that our bodies need to stay strong.

Research

Fitness Trackers Keep Cancer Survivors on the Move

• Mar. 1, 2019

A new study shows that activity trackers such as pedometers and smartphone apps are linked to improved step counts and exercise engagement for cancer survivors. The devices have the appeal of being ...

Patient Care

Peanut Butter Choco Chip Energy Balls

• Feb. 13, 2019

These energy balls have a touch of sweetness and come loaded with nutrients as well as fiber, thanks to the oats, flax seeds and chia seeds. Studies show eating a diet high in fiber may reduce your ...

Patient Care

Watch for Wilmot during 2019 Super Bowl

• Jan. 31, 2019

UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute will be featured in a commercial that will air during the 2019 Super Bowl, which starts at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3. The ad highlights several key facts about ...

Patient Care

Walter Horylev

• Dec. 13, 2018

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Patient Care

Inhwan (Jason) Yeo, Ph.D.

• Dec. 12, 2018

Medical Physicist, Radiation Oncology

Patient Care

Mary Ann Vanmulem

• Dec. 7, 2018

Pancreatic Cancer

Patient Care

Debra Burnham

• Nov. 30, 2018

Breast cancer and acute myeloid leukemia

Patient Care

Roasted Turnips w/ Paprika & Poppy Seeds

• Nov. 26, 2018

Despite looking somewhat similar to a potato, turnips are a cruciferous vegetable, in the same family as broccoli and kale. They’re low in calories and also have phytonutrients that help keep the ...

Patient Care

Spiced Squash Soup

• Nov. 13, 2018

Have leftovers from your big meal? This soup is a great way to use leftover squash and Brussels sprouts. Squash comes packed with vitamin A, fiber, magnesium, manganese and other important nutrients, ...

Patient Care

Trying to Quit Smoking? Here’s What You Should Know about the Nicotine Patch

• Nov. 9, 2018

Patricia Mallaber, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, CTTS, NCTTP, nurse practitioner and director of Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Tobacco Dependence Treatment program, answers some common questions about nicotine.

Patient Care

Shaved Celery Root, Fennel & Apple Salad w/ Manchego and Marcona Almonds

• Nov. 5, 2018

This isn’t your typical tossed salad! Celery root and fennel add crunch to this salad while apple adds a little sweetness. All come packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. The manchego and marcona ...

Patient Care

Lou Desfosses

• Nov. 1, 2018

Pancreatic Cancer

Patient Care

Kelly Cameron

• Oct. 26, 2018

ER/PR+ Breast Cancer

Patient Care

Mark Richardson

• Oct. 22, 2018

Prostate Cancer

Patient Care

Lisa Norsen

• Oct. 19, 2018

HER2+ Breast Cancer

Patient Care

Pete Bansbach

• Sep. 28, 2018

Stage 4 Non Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Patient Care

Adelina King

• Sep. 17, 2018

Ovarian Cancer

Patient Care

Sam Julian

• Sep. 7, 2018

Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Research

Come Together Against Cancer at the Wilmot Warrior Walk on Sunday

• Sep. 6, 2018

UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute will host its sixth annual Wilmot Warrior Walk on Sunday, Sept. 9 at the Highland Park Bowl, 1137 South Ave. in Rochester. The fundraiser features a certified ...

Patient Care

Buckwheat crepe stuffed with local summer fruit, toasted walnuts, whipped cream & honey

• Aug. 29, 2018

Instead of featuring white flour, these crepes have buckwheat flour, which contains more dietary fiber than its white counterpart. The slow-roasted fruit filling is naturally sweet and nutritious. ...

Patient Care

Local sweet corn soup, scallions, pea tendrils, smoky roasted red pepper coulis

• Aug. 21, 2018

Local sweet corn is one of summer’s tastiest treats. If you’re tired of corn on the cob, this corn soup is velvety smooth and can be served cold or hot.

Patient Care

Wheat Berry Salad with Watermelon and Arugula

• Aug. 13, 2018

An intriguing combination of sweet watermelon and tangy arugula makes for a refreshing summer salad! The cucumber slices and sunflower seeds add crunch, and it is finished with fresh mint. Wheat ...