Duke Health

Sophia Ramirez’s family was told nothing more could be done after two stem cell transplants performed at a hospital near their South Carolina home failed to cure the toddler’s aggressive leukemia. Then her family brought her to Duke Health, where Sophia received a therapy only available through a clinical trial, followed by a third, successful stem cell transplant. Today, the five-year-old is back home, recovering well, and enjoying life with her family. “It was a miracle,” her mother said. “If not for Duke, Sophia wouldn't be here any longer.”

For many years, the focus of cancer treatment has been to kill or destroy cancer cells with chemotherapy and radiation. But new research from the Duke Cancer Institute is shifting how doctors view cancer and approach treatment decisions.

As part of our ongoing Conversations in Cancer video series, Diane Reedy-Lagunes, MD, a medical oncologist at Duke Health, talks to Nicholas DeVito, MD, a Duke researcher and immunologist who treats colon and other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. His research suggests that for an increasing number of GI cancers, including colorectal cancer, certain types of immunotherapies–-namely checkpoint inhibitors–-may one day replace harsh cancer treatments and their toxic side effects as first-line therapy.

Duke Health experts discuss the use of checkpoint inhibitors in fighting cancer.

At just nine years old, severe headaches and eye pain caused young Brayden Bardonado to spend most days in bed. That changed when Duke Health surgeons identified and corrected the rare cause of his symptoms. Today, Brayden’s pain is gone, and his mother, Deanna Semanoff, sings Duke’s praises. “I have my son back. It's such an incredible feeling,” Brayden’s mom said. “Duke saved my son’s life.”