Courage over Cancer Filtered Blog

AI-assisted colonoscopy enhances polyp detection

UT Health San Antonio is using AI-assisted colonoscopy technology to help physicians detect precancerous polyps in real time, expanding access to advanced colorectal cancer prevention and early detection for South Texans.

Drug shows promise for halting chronic pain before it starts

Scientists at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) are investigating a major immune system pathway that leads to the development of chronic pain and a drug that has the potential to stop the process in its tracks. Their study, published April 22 in Cell Reports, is the first of its kind to show a path toward the prevention of chronic pain.

UT Health San Antonio researcher awarded $2.1M award to study cellular structures

Like a busy restaurant kitchen, our cells depend on well-organized working spaces to assemble the “recipes” that keep the body healthy. UT San Antonio scientist, David Libich, PhD, recently received a five-year, $2.1 million Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to study how certain proteins form these organizational hubs and what happens when things do not go according to plan.

A better path forward for cancer care

From the moment of diagnosis, UT Health San Antonio patients are connected to a system designed to expand their treatment possibilities and bring the full strength of medicine and research to their care. Specialized programs focus on common and rare cancers, which allows for more personalized treatment approaches. For those at increased risk, services such as cancer genetics counseling and risk-reduction clinics offer early insight and prevention strategies.

UT San Antonio-led cancer research program could revolutionize treatment

Written by: Claire Kowalick More than 70% of cancers — including breast, bladder, cervical and lung cancer — show evidence of mutations linked to a group of enzymes called apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptides, or APOBEC. “APOBEC mutagenesis is the second-largest source of mutation in cancer and, importantly, the largest one we can do […]

New study aims to guide prostate cancer patients through early treatment decisions

  For more than 20 years, Lixin Song, PhD, RN, FAAN, vice dean for research and scholarship and professor of nursing at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) School of Nursing, has studied how cancer patients and their families navigate the challenging experience of making decisions about treatment while facing uncertainty, […]

American Cancer Society grant supports transportation access at Mays Cancer Center

UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital treats first clinical trial participant in novel cancer study

UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital has enrolled and treated its first clinical trial participant in a novel cancer study, marking a pivotal moment for science and patient-centered cancer care in San Antonio and South Texas.

Mays Cancer Center physicians recognized on San Antonio Magazine Top Doctors list

Lymphedema myth busters: Separating fact from fear

UT Health San Antonio plastic surgeons Dr. Anton Fries and Dr. Oriana Haran join us to debunk common misconceptions.

Widely used metabolic drugs may help curb rising colorectal cancer in younger adults

A large, retrospective study conducted by scientists at The University of Texas at San Antonio suggests that people taking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists — medications that are widely prescribed for metabolic disease — have a significantly lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with those taking aspirin.

Robotic surgery on forefront of HPV-related cancer treatment

This story was first published in the February 2026 issue of the Bexar County Medical Society’s San Antonio Medicine magazine. New face of head and neck cancer A healthy 40-year-old man visits his primary care physician for a mass on his neck. He doesn’t smoke, has no risk factors for head and neck cancer, and […]

UT Health San Antonio doctors provide new hope for pancreatic cancer patients

UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital became the first in South Texas to use an emerging and less-invasive treatment called radiofrequency ablation on a comorbid patient with a pancreatic cancer tumor that couldn’t be removed by surgery.

UT Health San Antonio awarded $3 million CPRIT grant to bolster cancer research and prevention efforts in South Texas

UT Health San Antonio received nearly $3 million in new academic and prevention awards as part of the latest, almost $154 million funding round announced on Nov. 19 by the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

UT San Antonio advances detection, prevention of hidden stomach infections linked to cancer

Research scientists and clinicians at UT Health San Antonio are working to halt one of the most persistent bacterial infections that silently affects millions of people worldwide.

Gastrointestinal cancer rising sharply in younger adults

UT Health San Antonio’s advanced endoscopy team leads efforts in early detection and prevention Gastrointestinal cancers were previously believed to primarily affect older adults, but over the past two decades, rates of these cancers have increased dramatically in people under age 50. A new report from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reveals that colorectal, pancreatic, esophageal […]

You are the essential piece: Building the future of health through clinical trials

The process is often imagined as a single, sudden 'aha!' moment. It’s much more like building a massive, intricate structure—a colossal puzzle that represents all medical knowledge. Every time a treatment is approved, a new piece of the puzzle clicks into place. 

Innovative endoscopic procedure offers new option for colorectal patients

UT Health San Antonio’s Advanced Interventional Gastroenterology Program is now offering an advanced, minimally invasive procedure that allows physicians to remove large, early-stage colorectal lesions without the need for traditional surgery.