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Alex Heard¡¯s mom, Kelli, was his best friend.

¡°When I was younger, I would lie on her and watch TV,¡± he recalls. ¡°She always wanted to hear my stories and give me advice.¡±

Unfortunately, Kelli was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer called clear cell renal cell carcinoma in October 2018. And, after undergoing immunotherapy and chemotherapy, and participating in clinical trials, she passed away 13 months later. But in that short time, her big personality meant she became well-known at MD Anderson and where she lived near Beaumont, Texas.

¡°She was a quick-witted, hilarious woman, and she loved MD Anderson,¡± Alex says. ¡°She spoke so highly of the doctors there. It means everything to me that we still have a connection to them.¡±

Donors ¡®absolutely critical¡¯ to MD Anderson¡¯s mission

During her illness, Kelli made MD Anderson¡¯s mission her own. Kelli worked at her local Pappadeaux, part of the Pappas family of restaurants, which has raised $1.3 million for MD Anderson since 2015.

¡°With every single person she served, she'd bring it up and try to educate them on the importance of supporting cancer research. It was very, very, very important to her,¡± says Alex.

That importance is echoed by urologic oncologist , who was on Kelli¡¯s care team at MD Anderson.

¡°Fundraising from corporate and individual donors like Pappas and their customers is absolutely critical to advancing MD Anderson¡¯s mission,¡± says Karam. ¡°We apply for national grants, but it¡¯s extremely competitive. We are deeply grateful for what Kelli and her colleagues have done for MD Anderson.¡±

Thanks to advances led by MD Anderson researchers, there are now more options to treat kidney cancer. For instance, some renal cell carcinoma patients who were previously ineligible for surgery now have surgery options, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved of the drug belzutifan for some adults with advanced disease.

Survival rates improve in kidney cancer

About 15,000 people die each year in the United States from kidney cancer. But there is good news: the number of kidney cancer survivors is increasing, thanks to both new treatment advances and chance early detection. Even though there is no routine screening exam for kidney cancer, the disease is often found when patients undergo imaging, such as CT scans or MRIs, for other reasons.

¡°Kidney cancer can be found when patients receive a CT scan for a persistent cough, or for abdominal or flank pain,¡± says Karam. ¡°Sometimes, people get care for accidents that involves imaging. In other cases, it¡¯s because something has shown up in regular bloodwork.¡±

Classic symptoms of kidney cancer like flank pain, blood in urine and unintentional weight loss usually appear at a later stage, when the disease is harder to treat. So, when kidney cancer is caught through other tests, patients often receive care earlier, when the disease is easier to successfully treat.

Pappas honors Kelli

Kelli had a particularly aggressive kidney cancer that had already spread to other parts of her body when it was discovered. That meant treatment was extremely difficult, but her care team was able to keep her well enough to enjoy her work and be with her family, friends and co-workers throughout most of her illness.

Five years after Kelli¡¯s death, her colleagues still remember her impact on their community. A trophy bearing her name is given out each year to the Pappas restaurant that raises the most funds for MD Anderson.

¡°When I see it and the photo they put up of her, obviously I get sad, but I feel mostly happiness because I know her legacy will always live on through the trophy,¡± Alex says. ¡°She will live on through all the lives she touched and the people she met. I always tell people who have lost loved ones, even though they¡¯re gone, you carry them around with you.¡±

Pappas diners can support MD Anderson¡¯s mission to end cancer by sharing their reason to end cancer and donating when they dine at any Pappas restaurant in the United States between 23 April and 11 May.