A heartfelt bequest made to Atrium Health Foundation will honor the life and legacy of Carolyn McCall Williams, bringing healing and hope to future patients at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute (LCI). Following Carolyn’s diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer in 2021, LCI was named the beneficiary of a $500,000 gift designated through a trust Carolyn established before her passing in January 2023. Because of her generosity and forethought, the Carolyn McCall Williams Thoracic Oncology Fund will help advance lung cancer treatment and related clinical research at LCI.
During her own cancer treatment, Carolyn participated in a clinical trial and showed tremendous gratitude for her care team at LCI, including Dr. Kathryn Mileham, chief of thoracic medical oncology. The fund named for Carolyn was established with a goal of curing more people with lung cancer and ensuring that every person with lung cancer has a better quality of life.
Blazing a Trail for Novel Treatments in Lung Cancer
With support from the Carolyn McCall Williams Thoracic Oncology Fund, Dr. Kathryn Mileham and her colleague, Dr. John Heinzerling, a distinguished radiation oncologist at LCI, have embarked upon a new research study: Genomic profiling for radio-resistance in treatment of unresectable, centrally located, stage I-IIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with SBRT. Still in the early phase of the study, LCI has identified 80 patients — from a database of over 1,000 patients with earlystage non-small cell lung cancer treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) — to gather clinical information on those who have responded positively to SBRT and those with continued cancer progression.
Once results of the initial study are published next year, clinical trial design for a phase II study will commence with a goal to start enrolling patients in late 2025. The innovative study has already gained the interest of highly respected research institutions and health systems in other parts of the country, reflecting Atrium Health Levine Cancer’s continued significance as a thought-leader and destination for exceptional patient care.