News & Blog

A Wing and a Prayer

Veteran Beats Prostate Cancer with Help from Proton Therapy “I remember it like it was yesterday.” James Cook, Knoxville resident and U.S. Army veteran, remembers the day he received his prostate cancer diagnosis. He was devastated. “I just about broke down in tears. My first thought was ‘why me?’ I started packing my bags, both […]

“More Good Years”

Man Beats Prostate Cancer after Treatment from Proton Therapy Center After surviving a heart attack in his early forties, Mike Dresel knew not to take his good health for granted. That’s why when he received a prostate cancer diagnosis in his sixties, he dove head-first into researching proton therapy so he could make an informed […]

Thompson Proton Center Names Executive Director

  Thompson Cancer Survival Center has named Gary Barlow as the executive director of the Thompson Proton Center. Barlow will manage the day-to-day operations of the proton center. Barlow joins Thompson Cancer Survival Center from the New Mexico Cancer Center, where he was leading the development of a new proton therapy center. Prior to his […]

Welcome Dat Tran, MD

Dat Tran, MD “The most satisfying part of oncology is getting to know my patients as they navigate their cancer journey, allowing for a special doctor-patient relationship unlike those in other specialties.”  Meet Dr. Tran – Watch Video  Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship:  Hematology and Medical Oncology LSU Health Science Center New Orleans, LA Residency:  […]

Oncology Pharmacists: Valuable Patient Resource

This blog was written using content provided by Kasey Smith, Pharm D, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Patients can easily become overwhelmed as they try to make sense of a cancer diagnosis. The feeling of being overwhelmed can intensify as they try to understand the necessary lab tests, imaging scans, and biopsies they may need, on top […]

No Place Like Home

New Linear Accelerator at Thompson Cancer-Sevier Brings Cutting-Edge Treatment to Local Cancer Patients The tumor was discovered by pure coincidence. When Jamesena Miller underwent a CT scan in October 2021 to follow up on a lung procedure, her surgeon noticed a spot in her left breast that he recommended checking. After Miller underwent a lumpectomy […]

Goals and Cancer

Content created with input from Jessica Antal, MSSW, LCSW One of the less often discussed ways patients with cancer can be affected by their diagnosis is in their perspectives of the future. Envisioning the Future It may be difficult for patients who are in the midst of their cancer journey to see past their immediate […]

Nurse Navigators: Expertise Confirmed

Thompson’s Nurse Navigators Achieve Excellence In 2021, several Thompson Cancer Survival Center (TCSC) nurse navigators obtained additional nursing certifications. Some earned the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators AONN+ Oncology Nurse Navigator- Certified Generalist certification. Others earned the certification as Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN), and some added both to their lists of credentials. We […]