The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy for some patients with stage 3 colon cancer following surgery. The treatment is for patients whose tumors have deficient DNA mismatch repair, or dMMR.

Texas Oncology celebrated the grand opening of its McAllen West clinic Sept. 29, expanding cancer treatment, diagnostic, and research capabilities in the Rio Grande Valley as the organization continues its presence in the region, spanning more than 40 years.

A large prospective study published in Nature Medicine found that a blood test designed to detect multiple cancers identified cancer signals across 17 broad cancer types, such as ovarian, lung, breast and colorectal cancers, and many which do not have recommended screening tests.

Something significant is happening in medicine in the Rio Grande Valley. A level of specialized care that once routinely required Valley patients to travel hundreds of miles is now being delivered close to home — and earning recognition among leading kidney transplant programs in Texas and across the nation. DHR Health Transplant Institute has reached No. 2 in Texas and No. 16 nationally, marking an important moment for advanced medicine in South Texas.