Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery Archive — Page 1 of 1

June 30, 2026

Vanderbilt Health performs nation’s first breast cancer surgery using intraoperative PET-CT scan technology

The novel imaging technology provides surgical teams with a real-time view of tumor margins in the operating room, allowing them to quickly determine if the entire cancerous mass was removed.

By Evan Dorian
June 15, 2026

‘The Best Version of Herself’

Patient’s story details the challenges of early-onset cancer diagnosis

By Danny Bonvissuto
Mark Kelley, MD, MMHC
October 13, 2025

Mark Kelley retires, having ‘profoundly shaped surgical oncology’ at VUMC

Kelley is lauded by his colleagues and surgical leaders for his contributions both at VUMC and nationally.

By Jill Clendening
(iStock)
June 26, 2025

Lower health literacy increases mortality risk for cancer patients

Patients who had high health literacy on the screening lived 9.4 months longer compared to those with low health literacy.

By Tom Wilemon
(photo by Erin O. Smith)
March 4, 2025

Rare pancreas diagnosis, rare treatment: Surgeons perform robotic Whipple procedure for pediatric patient

The milestone surgery resulted from collaboration and exemplifies a generational shift taking place in pediatric surgery.

By Jessica Pasley
Patient Johnny Cleveland, right, with Kamran Idrees, MD, MSCI, MMHC.
May 29, 2024

Robotic pancreatectomy speeds recovery time for retired educator 

He knew he needed complicated surgery, so researching his options, he learned about the Vanderbilt surgical team led by Kamran Idrees, MD, MSCI, MMHC, Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research.

By Tom Wilemon