Markey affiliate conference brings together Kentucky cancer providers
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 18, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network held its 19th annual Cancer Care Conference Dec. 11-12, bringing together health care professionals from across Kentucky to learn about the latest advances in cancer treatment and care delivery.
The two-day conference drew oncologists, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and other cancer care providers from community hospitals throughout the Commonwealth. Sessions focused on topics including lung cancer screening, palliative care, immunotherapy and patient navigation.
“This conference brings together health care professionals from across Kentucky to learn from one another and share best practices in cancer care,” said Cheri Tolle, administrative director of the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network. “It’s an important opportunity for continuing education and building connections that ultimately benefit patients throughout the Commonwealth.”
The Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network connects UK Markey Cancer Center with 19 community hospitals across Kentucky. The network helps bring cancer expertise and resources to communities throughout the state, allowing patients to receive care closer to home while maintaining access to Markey’s specialists and clinical trials.
Conference sessions covered topics including cancer trends in Kentucky, with data presented on cancer incidence and mortality rates across the state. Other presentations addressed practical topics such as smoking cessation, alcohol’s role in cancer prevention, and strategies for engaging communities in lung cancer screening efforts. B. Mark Evers, M.D., director of the Markey Cancer Center, and Timothy Mullett, M.D., medical director of the Markey Affiliate Network, presented updates on the state of Markey and the network.
The conference featured Markey’s inaugural Lung Cancer Forum, an event for providers and care teams promoting quality standards and best practices in lung cancer care. The event also included a recognition for Tolle, who is retiring from her role as administrative director of the network.
The Markey Cancer Center earned National Cancer Institute designation in 2013 and received Comprehensive Cancer Center designation in 2023, becoming one of 57 centers nationwide with this status. The Markey Affiliate Network works with partner hospitals to provide cancer-specific education and training programs, assist cancer programs in achieving accreditation, and provide access to programs such as genetic counseling.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.