Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Jadranko “Yadi” Franjic describes lymphedema symptoms and what is done during therapy to help control the swelling in the lymphatic system. Lymphedema is most common among patients who experience trauma to their lymphatic system. Examples include cancer patients undergoing lymphatic node dissection or radiation therapy and those who suffer a traumatic injury. Swelling of the [...]

Are you currently going through lung cancer or pancreatic cancer treatment or have completed therapy? Jay Groves, administrative director at Vanderbilt Dayani Center, describes the new Vanderbilt Cancer Wellness Program. This program promotes the health and wellbeing of those touched by cancer through interactive, individualized and comprehensive services that complement your standard of care. Learn [...]

Vanderbilt colorectal surgeons now have improved mobility and precision when performing colorectal operations, especially in the pelvic area, thanks to the da Vinci robot. The robot will reduce recovery times, in comparison to open operations, while improving surgeons’ ability to make precise maneuvers and dissections in hard-to-reach spaces, according to Paul E. Wise, M.D., associate [...]

Kort Nygard opted to wait until his prostate cancer needed treatment. Then he decided to have open surgery. Jim Davidson chose radiation therapy, the external beam type. Sam Dick selected robotic surgery. Three different patients with prostate cancer, three different treatment choices. The decision that faces a man diagnosed with localized prostate cancer is daunting. [...]

Jimmy Caldwell was looking for something to take his mind off the stress of owning a small business. He had always been handy – with 12 years of industrial maintenance work and one renovated old house under his belt – so when he read a magazine article about woodworking, he immediately purchased a lathe, set [...]

For more than 30 years, surgical nurse Carolyn Watts, M.S.N., R.N., has tended to patients’ wounds. But healing, she notes, is about more than just the physical wounds. As she often tells nursing students: “Look at the whole patient, and not just the hole in the patient.” This holistic approach is especially important in cancer [...]

A 68-year-old male with advanced prostate cancer lies on the operating table. A 1,500-pound contraption looms over him, its metal arms extend like tentacles into tiny holes in his abdomen. The surgeon sits at the far side of the room, face pressed into a large console, hands and feet manipulating controls. As the surgeon moves, [...]