Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center

Building a Future Without Cancer

At Simmons Cancer Center, our care is built on a foundation of science and discovery and delivered by teams of the top cancer specialists in the country. Here, along with our experts, you’ll find innovative therapies, advanced clinical trials, state-of-the-art facilities, and more.

Meet four of our patients. Together, we’re building a future without cancer.

Explore Building a Future Without Cancer:

This Is My Team

Angela McDonald didn’t know how to tell her teenage twins, 14 at the time, she had stage 3 breast cancer and would need a double mastectomy. She waited about two weeks after her diagnosis, during which time she met with her entire team at UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center and felt she knew what to expect before breaking the news.

Dream Makers

Chris Lopez had the time of his life on a two-week vacation to Southern California – a much-needed break from his culinary arts studies at Dallas College. But when he returned with an intense stomach pain that wouldn’t go away, even with antibiotics, he grew concerned. Eventually, a colonoscopy revealed the source of his extreme discomfort and a stunning diagnosis – a grapefruit-sized mass, stage 3 colon cancer.

A Team To Count On

Edward Wright Sr. was on his way to Jamaica in 2012 when he received a call from his doctor alerting him about a rise in Edwards’s PSA count. More tests would be needed, but they would confirm what his doctor suspected: Edward had a small trace of prostate cancer.

Pamela's Brain Trust

Pamela Kessler had noticed a few small signs before – forgetting what she had gone to the refrigerator for, having difficulty opening a doorknob – but she dismissed them as insignificant. However, when she awoke one morning and couldn’t move, she and her family knew it was something serious. A trip to the emergency room and a battery of tests revealed the cause – a gigantic tumor on her frontal lobe. Brain cancer.