KCA

In a new episode of the Cancer Interviews podcast, host and prostate cancer survivor Bruce Morton speaks with Kidney Cancer Association Ambassador Jeff Kallis about his journey with kidney cancer and how it led him to advocacy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdU8LFPJk8I Jeff was diagnosed with stage 3 clear cell renal cell carcinoma in 2023. Since then, he’s not only navigated treatment and recovery, but found…

The 2025 International Kidney Cancer Symposium: Europe, taking place in Amsterdam on May 1-3, will feature three special lectures recognizing outstanding leaders in kidney cancer. Dr. Michael Staehler Dr. Michael Staehler will receive the KCA's John Fitzpatrick Award recognizing excellence in urology care. Dr. Staehler is the founder and head of the Interdisciplinary Center for Renal Tumours at Ludwig-Maximilians University…

A significant amount of new, practice-changing information about kidney cancer has been published and presented over the last 18 months. It can be challenging for nurses, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other clinicians to keep up with every update. No worries: a few members of the Kidney Cancer Association’s Clinical Advisory Board (CAB) conducted reviews for you and provided…

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) was created by Congress in 1992 to fund high-impact medical research—especially in areas overlooked by traditional sources—through the Department of Defense. CDMRP began with breast cancer research and has since expanded to support many conditions affecting both Service Members and civilians. https://www.kidneycancer.org/protect-federal-kidney-cancer-research-funding/ The CDMRP’s unique strength lies in backing high-risk, high-reward science: early-stage, innovative ideas that…

Kidney Cancer Unfiltered season 3 was filled with raw emotions, compelling stories, and powerful insights by both experts and those impacted by kidney cancer. Hosted by Annamaria Scaccia, this season featured remarkable guests who shared their personal experiences, shedding light on topics often overlooked in cancer conversations. I have listened to quite a few of these podcasts and find them…

Dr. Toni Choueiri and Dr. Rizwan Romee received a KCA research award in 2021 for their project “Adoptive cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer cell therapy alone or in combination with avelumab for immunotherapy-refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma.” This technique could represent a new type of immunotherapy treatment Choueiri, Romee, and Dr. Vincent Xu, shared an update on their research, which has…

Update 3/27/25: Why We Must Restore Funding For the CDMRP Update 3/24/25: Kidney cancer will not receive any funding this year through the CDMRP. A recent STAT News article summarized the far-reaching impacts of the "devastating" 57% cuts to the CDMRP, which, instead of reducing some funding for the 35 disease research programs supported by the CDMRP, eliminated funding for…

The City of Austin, Texas proclaimed March 1, the first day of Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, to be "Kidney Cancer Awareness Day" from 2025 onward.  John Ferrell, Annamaria Scaccia, and Katie Coleman at Austin City Hall. KCA Ambassador and patient advocate Annamaria Scaccia requested the proclamation.  “I’m grateful that Austin has recognized March 1 —  the start of Kidney Cancer Awareness…

This is a guest post by Annamaria Scaccia, a kidney and thyroid cancer survivor, patient advocate, and member of the KCA's Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council. As a cancer survivor, I sometimes feel like an imposter. Even years after my diagnosis, I catch myself questioning if my experiences really “qualify” me to be in certain spaces. But in mid-January, something…

In this deeply personal final episode of season 2 of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered, host Annamaria Scaccia sat down with her partner Sam and son Kelly to reflect on their shared journey through her two cancer diagnoses: chromophobe renal cell carcinoma in 2020 and papillary thyroid carcinoma in 2023. Around the kitchen table, they have an open and emotional conversation about…