What Does it Mean if Your Cancer Has a BRAF Mutation?

Physicist Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green Uses Nonprofit To Raise Funds For Cancer-Killing Technology

Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green has developed a novel cancer-killing technology, Laser-Activated NanoTherapy (LANT), that is of high clinical relevance in the field of oncology.

In 2003, Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green graduated with a B.S. In Physics from Alabama A&M University with a plan to revolutionize the way consumers receive cable TV and internet. She had diligently prepared herself for her future career in fiber optics and optical communication, and she was excited to finally be on her way. The day after graduation, Dr. Green's aunt, who had raised her along with her two older brothers, disclosed that she had cancer.

"She told us she had 'woman's cancer,' which usually means cervical or ovarian cancer, and was only given three months to live," Dr. Green recalled. "She also said she'd rather die than experience the side effects of chemo or radiation treatments." As Dr. Green nursed her aunt through the ravages of the disease, she remembers thinking, "We have satellites in outer space that can tell whether a dime on the ground is face up or face down, but we can't treat a tumor just at the site of the tumor? That doesn't make sense."

Three months after her aunt died, Dr. Green's uncle, her late aunt's husband, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and given up to six months to live. Dr. Green was the primary caregiver for her uncle while he received the conventional treatments of radiation and chemo. Although with treatment, Dr. Green's help, and God's grace, her uncle lived 10 years past his original prognosis, Dr. Green saw his body bear the brunt of the treatment's brutal side effects.

"I watched him wither down to nothing after losing 150 pounds," Dr. Green said. "He lost all of his hair on his head, his eyebrows, and his eyelashes, and his skin looked like it had been barbequed." Seeing her aunt and uncle suffer at the hands of cancer and cancer treatments inspired Dr. Green to dedicate her life to developing innovative and more humane ways to attack and destroy cancer. In 2005, she enrolled in the physics Ph.D. Program at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) to develop this inspired cancer treatment using lasers and nanotechnology.

A cure without sufferingCancer has impacted most of us. While cancer that is detected early has a high cure rate, nearly 10 million people still die from cancer each year worldwide. Even with the best care, any of us – our family, friends, or colleagues – can be subjected to ineffective treatments, harsh side effects, lengthy treatment durations, prohibitive costs, and limited accessibility. Now, there's a better way!

Dr. Green developed a novel cancer-killing technology, Laser-Activated NanoTherapy (LANT), that is of high clinical relevance in the field of oncology. LANT directly addresses the urgent yet unmet global need for more effective treatment options for millions of people with difficult-to-treat cancers. LANT is designed as a minimally invasive, curative treatment for solid tumors that induces site-specific (not cell type-specific) cellular death and tumor regression precisely at the site of laser activation. The peer-reviewed, preclinical in vivo LANT data showed complete tumor regression with clear tumor margins and healed skin in just 15 days after a single, 10-minute treatment without surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or observed side effects. Because its mechanism of action is based on physics instead of biology, LANT is a platform therapy designed to have clinical indications for a variety of difficult-to-treat solid tumors, such as brain, pancreatic, breast, prostate, and head and neck cancers.

Dr. Green founded the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, a cancer nonprofit, to keep the technology she developed affordable for all. The Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation is on a mission to change the way cancer is treated and reduce cancer patient suffering by providing a treatment that is accessible, affordable and effective. Limited by funding, not technological advancements, the Ora Lee Foundation is ready to move LANT beyond the laboratory and into humans with tax-deductible donations. When you support the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, your donations will help ensure Dr. Green's research comes to life by helping to fund human clinical trials, taking this tech from the lab to the living.

The future of cancer researchDr. Green acknowledges that none of us are islands; we all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. As such, she pays it forward by creating opportunities in her research laboratory and nonprofit for women and students in STEM to grow their research and personal skills. She also advises her mentees and trainees on educational, career, and life strategies.

"My advice to young women interested in pursuing research careers would be to excel in your coursework and obtain summer and work-study research experiences to help confirm or narrow your scientific interests," Dr. Green said. "Put your best into everything that you do, so that when opportunities come, you will be prepared. Everyone has a divine purpose for being on the planet. Channel your joy or pain and the things that make you happy or angry, into your purpose or to help you identify your purpose."

Dr. Green says, "I turned my pain into passion and used the loss of my loved ones to cancer to develop new ways to fight cancer. I also channeled the skills I built as the president of different organizations in college into my position as the founder of my nonprofit." If you haven't found your purpose, Dr. Green recommends supporting something or someone you believe in, and by dedicating time and effort to something bigger than yourself, you will gain experience and skills that may be the investment needed to achieve your own success.

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Cancer Battles Come Full Circle On Rush Fights Cancer Night

Photo Courtesy of the Rapid City Rush

Over the past year, the Rapid City Rush have had their share of battles when it comes to cancer. Which is why their Rush Fights Cancer game on Saturday has extra-special meaning.

Last December, head coach and general manager Scott Burt took a medical leave of absence to treat a brain tumor. He returned to the team in mid-February after undergoing several weeks of treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Last March, Rush forward Maurizio Colella had just finished a practice when he received gut-wrenching news. His mother, Maria, had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Doctors were able to catch it early, and Maria underwent immunotherapy treatments last June close to the family home in Tottenham, Ontario.

Like Burt, Maria received good news earlier this month; she was cleared to travel. With Maurizio celebrating his birthday Friday and the Rush Fights Cancer game Saturday at The Monument Ice Arena, the family made their first trip to Rapid City.

It was a special trip, and not only because of the cancer battle. Maurizio's family had not seen him play hockey since his second season of collegiate hockey at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. That's five years and 166 professional games ago.

Needless to say, Maurizio was excited his family would finally get to see him play in a pro game this weekend.

"(My mom) has been a fighter; that is who she is," Maurizio said via Rush PR. "She had family growing up who passed away from cancer, so she has been a trooper ever since she was younger. I have been away since I was 16. It is all about family with us."

With his parents in the stands Friday, Maurizio celebrated his birthday and the occasion by having one of his best games as a pro. Playing right wing alongside Luke Mylymok and Parker Bowman, he dished out two primary assists in the second period. Even though the Rush came up short in a 4-3 loss to the Wichita Thunder, Maria was happy to finally see her son in action.

"It was very exciting to hear from my oncologist that I was able to come over and be here this weekend," she told Rush PR. "I was very happy to get the OK from him and see Maurizio."

Saturday, the Colellas' and Scott Burt's cancer battles came full circle. Maria, alongside Burt and Dr. Thomas Fulbright, dropped the ceremonial puck before the game on Rush Fights Cancer night against Wichita. It's a moment no one will ever forget.

"With someone so close to you going through this, you have that extra fight for them," Maurizio said. "You never know what is going to happen. You have to take every day, be happy, be able to wake up and either go to work or be surrounded by loved ones. Some people do not have them, as they were taken by this horrible disease, and those are the folks we are playing for this weekend."

Dermatologist Works To Reduce Number Of Skin Cancer Cases In Mass. Firefighters

Dr. Christine Kannler gives free skin cancer screenings at local fire stations across the Commonwealth

Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Mar 20, 2025

Dermatologist works to reduce number of skin cancer cases in Mass. Firefighters

Dr. Christine Kannler gives free skin cancer screenings at local fire stations across the Commonwealth

Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Mar 20, 2025

HEROES. RUNNING TOWARD DANGER WHEN OTHERS RUN AWAY. BUT BEHIND THEIR BRAVERY LIES A SILENT THREAT. FIREFIGHTERS ARE 9% MORE LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND 14% MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF THEIR CANCER, COMPARED WITH NON FIREFIGHTERS. CANCER IS A RISK THAT COMES WITH THE JOB. BUT DOCTOR CHRISTINE CANDLER, A BOARD CERTIFIED DERMATOLOGIST, IS DETERMINED TO TIP THE SCALES IN THEIR FAVOR. FIREFIGHTERS ACROSS OUR COUNTRY AND ACTUALLY GLOBALLY ARE GETTING CANCER AT A HIGHER RATE, AND THEY'RE DYING AT YOUNGER AGES. THIS IS A FIGHT THAT IS PERSONAL FOR CANDLER, WHO LOST HER BROTHER, A CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS FIREFIGHTER, TO CANCER. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE FOUR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER AT AGE 36, THE YEAR THAT HE WAS SICK. I DID A TON OF RESEARCH BECAUSE I REALLY WASN'T AWARE OF THE RISKS THAT FIREFIGHTERS FACED IN TERMS OF CANCER OF ALL TYPES. THIS LOSS PROFOUNDLY RESHAPED HER LIFE. YOU GOT ANOTHER ONE HERE. SOME FRECKLES HERE. DRIVING HER TO TRANSFORM HER GRIEF INTO A POWERFUL MISSION OF ACTION IN THE FORM OF FREE SKIN CANCER. SCREENINGS AT LOCAL FIRE STATIONS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. ONCE HE PASSED IN 2016, I DECIDED I COULD PAY BACK. I COULD PAY IT FORWARD. AND WHAT I STARTED DOING IS I TOOK THE FREE SKIN CANCER PROGRAM THAT THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY HAS, AND I BROUGHT IT TO THE FIRE STATION. THE PROGRAM HAS NOW TOUCHED MORE THAN 5000 FIREFIGHTERS HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY. IF YOU DON'T FIND YOUR NAME, JUST WRITE YOURSELF OUT OF IT. IT'S QUICK, EASY, AND EVEN POTENTIALLY LIFE SAVING. WE HAVE HAD A LOT MORE ENGAGEMENT IN THESE SKIN CANCER SCREENINGS THAN WE WOULD HAVE IF WE REQUIRED THEM TO COME TO THE OFFICE. CANDLER CHECKS FIREFIGHTERS FOR ANY ABNORMAL LOOKING MOLES THAT COULD BE SKIN CANCER. THOSE ARE NORMAL. FRECKLES ARE ONE COLOR RED SPOTS. THESE ARE ALSO WELCOME TO THE OVER 30 CLUB. MELANOMA IS THE DEADLIEST FORM OF SKIN CANCER, KILLING ONE PERSON EVERY HOUR IN THE UNITED STATES. OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, I'VE FOUND AT LEAST 25 MELANOMAS. LUCKILY, THEY'VE ALL BEEN STAGE ONE EXCEPT FOR ONE FIREFIGHTER. WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS FIREFIGHTER JOHNNY CULLINAN. WAS THAT EXCEPTION. DOCTOR CANDLER IS LEGIT. MY GUARDIAN ANGEL. THAT WOMAN SAVED MY LIFE. CULLINAN CAME ACROSS DOCTOR CANDLER AND ONE OF HER FREE SKIN CHECK CLINICS WHILE ATTENDING A PROFESSIONAL. FIREFIGHTERS OF MASSACHUSETTS CONVENTION. SHE FOUND A SPOT ON MY BACK THAT I NEVER WOULD HAVE FOUND. SHE TOLD ME TO BIOPSY IT, AND IT CAME BACK AS A STAGE THREE MELANOMA DIAGNOSIS. HER BATTLE WITH CANCER BROUGHT AN UNEXPECTED TWIST TO HER LIFE'S PATH. FORCED TO RETIRE EARLY AND TO STEP AWAY FROM A CAREER SHE LOVED. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD NEUROPATHY IN MY FOOT FROM CHEMO AND ULTIMATELY ENDED UP HAVING TO RETIRE. I KNOW EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES, BUT IT ALSO SAVES CAREERS. I WASN'T THAT LUCKY. CULLINAN HAS BEGUN TO EMBRACE A NEW ROLE AS ADVOCATE, VOLUNTEERING HER TIME AND SHARING HER STORY. JUST TRYING TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE THAT'S ON THE FENCE THERE TO GET SCREENED. SHE MAKES THIS SO EASY FOR GUYS. SHE COMES INTO THE FIREHOUSE, SHE DOES IT RIGHT AT WORK. DOESN'T COST ANYTHING. I MEAN, SHE IS TRULY A MIRACLE WORKER. RUSSELL OSGOOD IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND RESEARCH FOR THE FIREFIGHTER CANCER SUPPORT NETWORK, A NONPROFIT HELPING FIREFIGHTERS WITH CANCER AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE TOXINS THAT WE'RE EXPOSED TO AT WORK ARE EVER INCREASING. IT'S A DANGEROUS JOB HERE IN SPRINGFIELD, AT THE MASSACHUSETTS FIRE TRAINING ACADEMY. SAFETY OUTSIDE OF A BURNING BUILDING IS A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION. WHEN I START MY EDUCATION CLASSES, THE FIRST QUESTION I ASK IS WHO IS? RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'VE WORKED WITH SOMEONE THAT'S HAD CANCER. THE RECRUITS LOOK AT ME LIKE I'M CRAZY. BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW ANYBODY THAT'S HAD CANCER. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? AND I SAY, WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN I BRING YOU BACK HERE IN TEN YEARS, YOU WILL 60 TO 70% OF YOUR HANDS ARE GOING TO GO UP. IT'S EYE OPENING. YOU KNOW, WE WALK INTO A CLASS. DON'T EXPECT TO BE HIT WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION. AND DOCTOR CANDLER SAYS ONE OF HER GOALS IS TO GET THE OCCUPATION OF FIREFIGHTING AND FIREFIGHTERS CONSIDERED AS HIGH RISK FOR CANCER. SO THAT WOULD MEAN WHEN, DOCTORS, WHEN FIREFIGHTERS GO TO THE DOCTORS FOR THEIR REGULAR CHECKUP, THEY WOULD BE SCREENED

Dermatologist works to reduce number of skin cancer cases in Mass. Firefighters

Dr. Christine Kannler gives free skin cancer screenings at local fire stations across the Commonwealth

Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Mar 20, 2025

Behind the bravery of firefighters lies a silent threat: cancer. Firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 14% more likely to die of their cancer compared with non-firefighters. Dr. Christine Kannler, a dermatologist, lost her brother, a firefighter, to stage 4 cancer. This loss reshaped her life and now she goes to fire stations across The Commonwealth to do free skin checks for firefighters and their families.

Behind the bravery of firefighters lies a silent threat: cancer. Firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 14% more likely to die of their cancer compared with non-firefighters. Dr. Christine Kannler, a dermatologist, lost her brother, a firefighter, to stage 4 cancer. This loss reshaped her life and now she goes to fire stations across The Commonwealth to do free skin checks for firefighters and their families.

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