The Progress You Make Possible
Rush Cancer Program Impact Report | 2025
A Note of Gratitude From the RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center Director
At RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center, we put our patients at the center of everything we do. Opening the Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building in 2023 and partnering with MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2024 were some of the latest steps toward living out this commitment.
My colleagues and I are dedicated to providing some of the highest-quality cancer care in the region so we can save more lives and help people thrive. We’re doing it through innovative programs such as Comprehensive Care Beyond Cancer at RUSH MD Anderson, which takes a collaborative approach to cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship care. We’re getting there by welcoming more of the best and brightest clinicians and scientists to expand their practice and conduct their research at Rush.
Philanthropic partners make this possible. For example, a $3 million gift from Rush Trustee Sheli Rosenberg to transform our information systems will enhance our ability to provide better, more personalized cancer care. With your support, early-career scientists have opportunities to explore unanswered questions. Our research teams have advanced tools, treatment options, and information to help patients make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones.*
Donor investments have laid the foundation for RUSH MD Anderson to become a leading destination in cancer care. But we’re not done yet. As we look to the future, we know what we need to do. We’re expanding our clinical trials program, exploring new research collaborations and deepening our supportive programming for people diagnosed with cancer.
I am so proud to be at RUSH MD Anderson. While my job can be challenging, it is fulfilling. Every day, we’re providing compassionate, personalized care for patients throughout their cancer journey, from early detection through treatment and beyond.
Together, we are closer to a future where no one’s life is limited or defined by a cancer diagnosis. Together, we are changing lives.
With gratitude,
Amina Ahmed, MD
Director, RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center
The Sheba Foundation Director of the Rush Cancer Program
*All philanthropic gifts benefit initiatives of RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center in the greater Chicago area and Northwest Indiana and do not fund research or programs at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Research fuels progress
Our donor community provides essential funding for that research — especially in its earliest stages. Since 2012, Swim Across America has raised nearly $3 million to support research and clinical trials at Rush. More than 230 swimmers and 50 volunteers participated in last year’s Chicago Open Water Swim to celebrate cancer survivors, honor lives lost and inspire hope for a future without cancer. Their collective support has advanced promising ideas across many different types of cancer research, which is not typical of most funding opportunities.
Scan the QR code to learn why one participant, Mary Haffner Holloway, swims year after year.
Cell Therapy Program Tests Bold, Innovative Solutions for Cancers and Chronic Diseases
There are more people alive today who have been diagnosed with cancer than at any other time in history. The rise of targeted therapies and immunotherapies in just the last two decades has transformed outcomes for people with cancer.
Many of these newer treatments originated in cellular therapy, harnessing the body’s own immune system to more effectively target and attack cancer cells. For example, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy — or CAR-T — has the potential to eradicate blood-related cancers. CAR-T genetically modifies patients’ own T cells — or lymphocytes — to produce a specific protein that makes it easier for the T cells to recognize, attach to and kill cancer cells.
The first CAR-T therapy was approved for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2017. There are now seven FDAapproved CAR-T therapies available to treat adult leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Many people who have undergone CAR-T have remained cancer-free years after receiving the treatment.
RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center clinicians and scientists are at the forefront of the research that has made treatments like CAR-T more widely available for patients. But they are also building off these innovative therapies so people with other types of cancers and chronic diseases can benefit from them, too.
“We’ve had some exciting developments in cell therapy,” said Celalettin Ustun, MD, the Coleman Foundation Chair of Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant. “Those developments, combined with our reputation for delivering excellent patient outcomes, position us to become a national leader in some of the boldest and most innovative treatment advancements.”
One of Dr. Ustun’s colleagues, Sunita Nathan, MD, associate director of the Cell Therapy Program, has been instrumental in establishing and coordinating clinical trials to test these bold and innovative therapies, such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, also known as TIL. This approach applies the successes in cell therapy for blood cancers to treat solid tumor cancers.
“TIL promises to offer a treatment option with limited chemotherapy,” Dr. Nathan explained. “Lymphocytes attack the cancer cells. We extract these white blood cells from the tumor and then expand them. Then, we infuse this much larger mass of immune cells into the patient. They make a beeline for the tumor cells and kill them more effectively.”
Their research efforts have paid off. In February 2024, the FDA approved the first TIL for melanoma.
Drs. Ustun and Nathan and their colleagues aren’t stopping there, though.
“We are uniquely applying TIL and CAR-T,” Dr. Ustun said. “For example, we’re launching cell therapy studies with colleagues to care for patients with sarcomas, melanoma, and even lung and gynecological cancers. Only a small number of sites in the nation have received approval for this study.”
Cell therapies may also provide relief for people with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, commonly known as MS. In addition to working with other types of cancer, Dr. Ustun and his team are collaborating with neurology colleagues to continue to gather evidence for this approach. Dr. Ustun is optimistic their trailblazing application will eventually make cell therapy a realistic treatment option for more people with MS.
The incredible momentum behind cell therapy brings with it waves of hope for a brighter future for people diagnosed with cancer and other diseases. RUSH MD Anderson’s Cell Therapy Center plays a significant role in moving the field forward.
After a $7 million renovation, the Rush Cell Therapy Lab, a major part of the center, will allow Rush to offer more innovative therapies for a range of diseases. Once fully operational, the lab will reduce the cost of immunotherapies and cut the time to treatment in half. This is an important consideration when time is of the essence for patients with serious and advanced diseases.
“With this upgraded lab, we can now handle patient samples, create cell therapies and deliver them to people with blood cancers,” said Mahzad Akbarpour, PhD, director of the Rush Cell Therapy Lab. “It really sets us apart. Not every academic medical center can do this. We’ll be able to offer more advanced therapies to more patients and participate in early-phase clinical trials.”
To learn more about the Rush Cell Therapy Lab at RUSH MD Anderson , scan the QR code.
Meet the Newest Faculty Leaders
Mahzad Akbarpour, PhD
Dr. Akbarpour serves as the director of the Cell Therapy Lab. A skilled and passionate immunologist, he is dedicated to expanding the availability of cellular therapies, such as CAR-T, in clinical settings. His work focuses on producing CAR-T cells in hospital settings, and his research on developing cell and gene therapies in autoimmune disease is highly regarded internationally. Dr. Akbarpour’s postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University led to significant discoveries in immunobiology of lung transplantation and graft dysfunction.
Fotis Asimakopoulos, MB BChir, MD, PhD Dr. Asimakopoulos joined Rush in December 2024. He was appointed to the Robert E. and Emily H. King Professorship of Cancer Research in March 2025. His research focuses on designing effective therapies for multiple myeloma by studying the tumor microenvironment, tumor inflammation and experimental therapies. Dr. Asimakopoulos’ immunotherapy work has received international accolades and support from the public sector and private philanthropy. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the top honor society for physician-scientists in the country.
Maria’s Story: A Survivor Discovers Waterford Place
Years after her 2011 breast cancer diagnosis, Maria Murphy discovered Waterford Place Cancer Resource Center.
Maria, who will soon turn 75, went there after she retired three years ago because she likes to keep busy.
“I felt the love the minute I walked in the door — from the staff and the patients themselves,” she said.
Funded by philanthropic donations, Waterford Place offers services and support — at no cost to participants — to anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis. Maria describes it as her home away from home.
“They’re my second family,” she said.
Finding joy at Waterford Place
Whether she’s gardening or walking with the other participants, Maria looks forward to seeing everyone.
“It brings joy into my life,” she said. “They lift me.”
Like many survivors, Maria fears recurrence. But when she is at Waterford Place, it keeps her from thinking about cancer.
“It keeps my mind occupied, doing things and just chatting,” she said. “We talk about family and other matters.”
She takes advantage of many of the services offered, including facials, massages, sound healing and cooking demonstrations. She also benefits from interactions with the providers.
“You can talk to staff openly,” she said. “The providers sit and make you feel comfortable and welcome. If I have fears, they calm me down. I believe they all have a special gift.”
Managing treatment with grace
Maria describes her breast cancer treatment as painful and
stressful but said she pulled through it with a lot of grace.
“The good Lord doesn’t send you hardships you can’t handle, and God made me one very strong woman,” she said.
Throughout her treatment, Maria worked at her job in logistics for the Federal Aviation Administration. She found strength in her work, coworkers and family.
One source of inspiration was her son, who has special needs.
“He’s been through so much but keeps moving forward,” she said. “I decided if he can do it, I must move on for my three children and grandchild.”
Her two daughters were her “rocks.” Her younger daughter looked after her while working on her chiropractic degree. Her other daughter, who was living in Ireland, moved back to the United States with her husband and child to be with her mom.
“I was grateful to have them around me,” Maria said.
Giving back
Now, Maria volunteers as a Waterford Place ambassador, telling others about the programs and services offered. Every Wednesday, you can find her at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center at Rush Copley Medical Center, talking to patients and listening.
“I simply love it. I love the patients who come in. People confide in me, especially the Hispanic women,” said Maria, who is bilingual. “I listen and give words of encouragement.”
Her advice to others who are diagnosed with cancer is to stay strong.
“Fear comes with it, but you’ll be alright,” she said. “Stay focused. Have hope and faith. Take your journey one step at a time.”
Supportive cancer care spans Rush University System for Health
Supportive oncology services enhance the health and well-being of our patients and their loved ones.
As critical as they are, these services have not always been a mainstay in cancer care and are poorly reimbursed by insurers. Philanthropic support sustains and advances programs and initiatives that provide relief for patients and improve their quality of life. For instance, it has increased the availability of wellness services.
“Because of our generous community of donors, I’ve been able to hire full-time staff to significantly expand availability of acupuncture, massage and patient navigation,” said Lauren Rynar, PhD, director of supportive oncology services at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center.
For example, a gift from the Carylon, Julius and Marcie Hemmelstein Foundation is making sure that patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer have the support they need to navigate complex care and access services to support their mental, emotional and physical health. It’s also equipping a nurse practitioner-in-training with resources to study this intervention and document how the navigator has improved the patient experience. Research in this area can help expand cancer-specific patient navigation across the country.
Scan the QR code to learn more about the supportive services Rush offers patients throughout their cancer journey.
Reflections on What It Means to Ring the Survivor’s Bell
A rite of passage. A dreamt-of end. A new beginning. A cherished ritual for patients, loved ones and care teams alike. Countless individuals ring the survivor’s bells in the Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building, one of which was made possible by The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center, to celebrate the completion of their treatment. The act serves as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity, strength, resilience and connection.
“I’m currently the Pipe Major of the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band. When I was diagnosed with tonsil cancer, we weren’t sure if I’d be able to play pipes during treatment. With a little bit of discomfort, though, I could. After 15 rounds of radiation, I informed my band I was going in for treatment and I was going to play for the people in the waiting room. Every one of my bandmates joined me. Nine treatments later, I rang the bell! My wife, Katy, who was going through treatment for breast cancer at the same time, rang her bell a month earlier. It was overwhelming. Knowing our four kids have their parents means so much to me, since I lost my mom to cancer in my 30s. I look forward to bringing joy to more people at Rush through my pipes for as long as I’m able.”
- Brian Costello
RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center Patient
“Ringing the bell meant I had completed all my treatments and could finally get back to my life from before I was diagnosed. That day, I had my sons, my nieces and my husband with me. I know it must have meant a lot to my nieces to be there. They work at Rush and would come down and sit with me and encourage me while I was going through treatment.”
- Hertestine Cooks
RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center Patient
“There are so many emotions that play in our head when someone rings the bell. Of course, we feel joy for the patient because they have finished treatment. It’s also bittersweet. We are incredibly happy for those who are able to ring the bell, but these moments also give us pause. They remind us to give extra love and support to those who may not be able to ring the bell because of lifelong treatment and to remember to honor those who did not make it to the bell ringing.”
- Anna Hardy, BSN, RN, MPH Hematology/Oncology Infusion RN
“I went through external beam radiation therapy for six weeks to minimize any form of residual tumor material left after I had non-cancerous meningioma surgery six years ago.
Ringing the bell highlighted a relief: I was done. Completing my course of radiation therapy gave me the confidence to continue my regular activities — and then some. I babysit my grandkids, who are 3- and 1-year-old, two-and-a-half days per week. I also go to Zumba classes five to six days per week.”
- Alicia Wieder
RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center Patient
“Seeing patients ring the bell after completing radiation is deeply emotional and powerful. It symbolizes so much more than just the end of a medical regimen; it’s a declaration that they made it through one of the toughest fights of their life. It’s a shared triumph. When that bell rings, it echoes through the hearts of fellow patients, families, staff, doctors and nurses. It can be a beacon of hope for people still undergoing treatment. It marks a new beginning — hopefully one that brings healing, peace and a return to life beyond cancer.”
- Nicole Harris Clinic Coordinator, Radiation Therapy
“During my cancer treatment, I wrote a lot of letters to my 1-year-old daughter. I also decided that I wanted to film my entire last day of chemotherapy, including ringing the bell. I had dreamt about ringing the bell almost every day throughout treatment. My hope is that one day, after I’m gone, she will read my letters and watch this video when she needs inspiration or guidance navigating a difficult time in her life. Thank you, Rush, for creating the space for cancer patients to have this unforgettable moment. Its impact on my family will last a lifetime.”
- Lauren Webber RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center Patient
“I love that there is a bell right there in the waiting area on the first floor. Everyone sees your joy, your hope. Everyone celebrates with you. Whenever I heard the bell ringing, I’d always go out and say something to the person ringing it. When it was my turn to ring the bell, I felt like my prayers had been answered. It was the start of the finish. To give patients that opportunity to feel joy and excitement after a long journey — it’s hard to put into words.”
- Mary J. Hennings
RUSH
MD
Anderson Cancer Center Patient
The Evolution of Lung Cancer Detection and Care
Rush research helps people live longer, better lives after a lung cancer diagnosis
Over the last 20 years, survival rates for advanced lung cancer have tripled. One in four cases is now caught early. The development of targeted therapies, the adoption of new screening techniques and the rise of patient advocacy groups have transformed our understanding of lung cancer and meaningfully improved the lives of people diagnosed with it. The Rush Lung Center and the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology team at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center are leading the way.
When Mary Jo Fidler, MD, a thoracic oncologist, began her career in the early 2000s, people diagnosed with lung cancer faced grim outcomes. The only options available to treat it were chemotherapy and radiation, and the intensity of their side effects affected the quality of life for patients with lung cancer and their families.
“So many people asked me why I wanted to work in an area of medicine with seemingly little hope for patients,” Dr. Fidler said.
Some of Dr. Fidler’s colleagues at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center experienced similar reactions from peers.
Helen J. Ross, MD, director of research and clinical trials
at RUSH MD Anderson, recalled how few clinicians were engaged in lung cancer research — and how little attention the disease received as a result.
“There was such a small number of people working in lung cancer research in the 1990s,” she said. “At conferences, it was always the last disease to be talked about, and the room was practically empty.”
Lung cancer wasn’t Dr. Fidler’s original plan for her medical career. She initially set out to be a hematologist, but when her fellowship at Rush paired her with renowned lung cancer clinician-researcher Philip Bonomi, MD, those plans changed. Through his mentorship and the families she met, Dr. Fidler grew more passionate about making a difference in the lives of people diagnosed with lung cancer.
“In addition to learning and working alongside Dr. Bonomi, I engaged with innovative surgery and radiation colleagues who continually pushed the envelope to improve outcomes in lung cancer and enhance people’s quality of life,” she said.
While Dr. Fidler — who was recently appointed to the Alice Pirie Wirtz Professorship of Medical Oncology — was deepening her experience in lung cancer research and care, biochemist
Jeffrey Borgia, PhD, was working with thoracic surgeons and oncologists to launch the Rush Biorepository, where they could store specimens from lung cancer patients to support innovative research on a range of topics, including early lung cancer detection and blood-based tests to help guide therapy decisions.
Dr. Borgia, now director of the Rush Biorepository, didn’t plan to focus his research career on lung cancer, either. He was simply interested in how cancer works. After he delivered a presentation on proteomics, former Rush pathologist John S. Coon IV, MD, approached him about coming to Rush to develop a biomarker panel to improve early detection rates of lung cancer.
“Lung cancer had been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and so little was known about it,” Dr. Borgia said. “It was a discipline that was ripe for the research I was interested in: mechanistic-type studies to understand what underlies the disease.”
Driving breakthroughs at the turn of the century
Last year, the cancer field recognized the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the EGFR gene mutation as a driver in non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. This groundbreaking finding catalyzed biomarker research and reshaped the field’s approach to treatment for all cancers.
“The EGFR discovery changed everything,” Dr. Fidler said. “It paved the way for targeted therapies and immune therapies that have helped patients stay alive and well five years into a diagnosis of stage four lung cancer.”
Once the association was made, scientists around the world set to work designing and testing therapies that block EGFR’s signaling to cancer cells to prevent them from growing.
Rush was already participating in early trials of targeted therapy
before the EGFR discovery. The close collaborations between clinicians and scientists at Rush led to ways of identifying patients who were more likely to respond to these agents and put Rush in the driver’s seat of many clinical trials that followed.
If the early 2000s ushered in the era of targeted therapies, the 2010s transformed lung cancer screening and patient outcomes.
In 2013, the National Lung Screening Trial found that low-dose CT, or LDCT, improved lung cancer survival rates by nearly 20%. It detected twice as many early-stage lung cancers as chest X-rays, which were the standard diagnostic tool at the time.
“That trial was an inflection point in the field,” Dr. Borgia said. “It helped us identify cancers sooner, before they spread.”
With a more effective tool to diagnose lung cancers earlier, the push to develop more innovative, less invasive surgical interventions gained momentum.
When Christopher Seder, MD, launched his career as a thoracic surgeon at Rush, internationally respected thoracic surgeon Michael Liptay, MD, and his team were pioneering robotic and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for resections.
“In the early 2000s, lung biopsies and resections were open surgery operations,” explained Dr. Seder, the Arthur E. Diggs, MD, and L. Penfield Faber, MD, Professor of Surgical Sciences. “Dr. Liptay was one of the only people looking at whether resections of lung cancer through smaller incisions could benefit patients. His leading-edge research led to faster recovery, less pain and greater patient satisfaction without any changes in patient outcomes.”
Changing the outlook for people living with lung cancer
Since EGFR’s discovery, scientists have discovered more than a dozen other biomarkers associated with lung cancer, and the FDA has approved more than 100 targeted therapies to treat a wide variety of cancers, including lung cancer. In 2015, the first immunotherapy to treat lung cancer was approved. Rush served a crucial role in the clinical trials.
Meanwhile, the early detection rate of lung cancer has almost doubled in the last decade. Biopsies have become less invasive and
more precise. At Rush, over 85% of early-stage lung cancer patients receive a minimally invasive lung resection.
People are living longer, more fulfilling lives because of these developments. Overall survival rates have nearly doubled, due in large part to the increase in early detection.
“It’s really exciting,” Dr. Fidler said. “The science is more advanced, and we have made great progress in individualizing care for patients with lung cancer. Patients are doing more and feeling better for longer.”
Survivors and their loved ones have harnessed this momentum to form patient advocacy groups determined to raise awareness of lung cancer and increase research funding. Rush was there in the early days as LUNGEVITY — now a multi-million-dollar organization — was getting started on the North Shore, near Chicago.
Rush researchers and clinicians celebrate the gains the field has made in part because of these groups’ tireless dedication to a future where no one gets lung cancer. Since 2000, federal funding for lung cancer research has increased 30% and awareness of lung cancer, especially in younger people and in women, has increased dramatically. These groups also expanded the availability of private
How research improves and saves lives
Since the early 2000s, outcomes for people diagnosed with lung cancer have improved dramatically. Advances in our understanding of the disease and the development of new tools and technology are helping people live longer, more fulfilling lives today.
funding opportunities to explore promising research questions — especially for early-career researchers.
“Patient advocacy organizations have put quality of life issues front and center,” Dr. Fidler said. “They’ve shifted the conversation from not just living longer but living well. It’s because of their efforts that we have been able to do more research into issues such as cancerrelated weight loss.”
More people diagnosed with lung cancer are also sharing their experiences to educate the public about lung cancer and the outcomes that are possible now because of research.
“I often think of my grandmother and how she passed away in 1992 from stage four lung cancer,” reflected Rush patient Aurora Lucas “My care team at Rush helped me see that my cancer isn’t going to stop me from pursuing my dreams, even though I now face a different reality in life.”
Patients such as Aurora and their stories of resilience and perseverance inspire Rush’s lung cancer experts to continue to “push the boundaries” of science and medicine.
“When you see patients in the clinic and meet their families, it’s really special,” Dr. Seder said. “I have people who say they pray for me every night because I cured them of their cancer. It’s powerful motivation for us to keep pushing the boundaries of medical knowledge.”
Improving the lives of tomorrow’s patients
Today, the Rush Biorepository contains more than 4,000 specimens and counting. As one of the largest sources of lung cancer tissues in the country, Rush contributed significantly to The Cancer Genome Atlas Program, a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, to map cancer genes. That study served as a beacon for molecular profiles and how they can help advance our understanding of lung cancer and accelerate the development of novel screening tools and therapeutics.
Rush oncologists, thoracic surgeons and scientists continue to collaborate on and lead large, multi-site clinical trials that are challenging and changing standards of care.
“Rush is at the forefront of new discoveries,” Dr. Seder said. “Because it’s just as important to treat the patients of tomorrow as it is to take care of patients who walk into your office today.”
The medical advances made over the last 20 years have extended people’s lives significantly and reduced suffering. There are more
options for personalized approaches to treatment, and more people are surviving five years after their diagnosis. For Dr. Ross, this progress is proof we can go further.
“The first 20 years of my career, there were advances in lung cancer treatment, but the gains were small,” she said. “Today, lung cancer is no longer the disease hidden in a corner. We have momentum, and our team’s tireless commitment to a better understanding of lung cancer and developing innovative ways to address it, filling gaps in care in the hopes of giving people not just years but decades of life.”
Dr. Ross’ colleagues agree. There is still work to do to increase screening rates, predict individual patient risk of cancer recurrence, reduce the side effects of targeted therapies and personalize care plans even further, especially for people whose cancer doesn’t respond to currently available treatments.
“Each success is motivating,” Dr. Ross said. “But any time a patient’s cancer doesn’t respond to treatment as well as we’d like, my colleagues and I are motivated to find better options.”
Achieving a future where lung cancer is a more survivable, manageable disease requires long-term investments. Unfortunately, despite successful pushes for increased lung cancer research funding, it still falls short. Only 9% of the NCI’s budget goes to lung cancer research, even though lung cancer is responsible for 20% of cancer deaths.
Philanthropy helps fill the gap. It spurred the establishment of the Rush Biorepository. It has allowed Dr. Borgia and his lab to continue to build on their research and get the field closer to a more accessible tool to increase screening and early detection rates. It has given Drs. Liptay and Seder resources to lead clinical trials to improve surgical outcomes. And it has fueled experiments with 3D tumor models derived from patient tumors to develop targeted, highly personalized treatment plans for people diagnosed with lung cancer.
These and other trailblazing studies can transform how we diagnose and treat lung cancer. The Rush Lung Center’s commitment to collaboration and innovation remains key to its success.
“Rush has so much clinical power,” Dr. Borgia said. “If we can harness that potential and ensure research has the tools to explore, we’ll make a big difference in patients’ lives.”
Upcoming Events
Philanthropic gifts advance research, improve the patient experience and deepen our relationships with the community. Here are some of the cancer-related events happening across the system. Your support makes them possible!
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Rush Copley Medical Center
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building at Rush University Medical Center
Cancer Thriver’s Day is a celebration of Rush cancer patients, past and present. It highlights the incredible power of community and serves as an homage to the perseverance of Rush patients, wherever they are on their cancer journey. The events feature activities for the entire family, patient speakers and tabling featuring local nonprofit cancer organizations. RUSH MD Anderson will also unveil the Tree of Life sculpture in the Rubschlager Building. The art installation, made possible by The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center, serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of connection.
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025
Ohio Street Beach, Chicago, IL
Join swimmers of all ages and skill levels for the Swim Across America’s Chicago Open Water Swim in beautiful Lake Michigan on Saturday, Aug. 9. Choose from the half-mile, one-mile or two-mile options to support cancer research and compassionate patient care at Rush University Medical Center. Scan the QR code to register or make a gift.
Aug. 18 – Sept. 7, 2025
Chicago-Area Communities
Screening saves lives. But not all women have access to the screening they may need to catch and treat breast cancer early. In partnership with Siemens Healthineers and Equal Hope, RUSH MD Anderson aims to change that reality. Held on the West Side of Chicago, the weeklong mobile mammography event will offer high-quality, no-cost screenings and connect women with follow-up care and support.
Cancer Thriver’s Day
Swim Across America –Chicago Open Water Swim
Mobile Mammography Van
“Going through cancer treatment can be hard. And to get to ring that bell after everything you went through — all the good days and bad ones — is a big accomplishment. The bell ringing is a celebration. It’s joy. One part of the journey is done, out of the way. People bring so many family members and friends to be a part of it. Even other patients join. They support each other. When someone rings the bell, they’re cheering them on, too. It’s an incredible celebration.”
- Eunice Reed Patient Experience Specialist II
Learn more about how Eunice inspires hope and comfort in patients and their families every day.
Philanthropic investments from grateful patients and friends of RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center fuel innovative research, programs and collaborations that get us closer to a cure. Together, we are creating the future we all deserve — where every person can access the care they need at every stage of their cancer journey, without boundaries.
To support the cancer program at Rush or learn how you can continue your legacy of support through an estate gift, contact :
Charles Palys Director of Development charles_palys@rush.edu
(312) 563-9049