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The American Cancer Society has honored Hyman B. Muss, MD, director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Geriatric Oncology Program, with a prestigious national award that recognizes providers who show compassion and dedication beyond the call of duty.

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Hyman B. Muss, MD

Dr. Muss was one of seven cancer care providers from around the country chosen to receive the 2015 American Cancer Society Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award. The honorees received the award Jan. 15 in a ceremony in Atlanta.

“Dr. Muss shows extraordinary commitment to his patients — both through his research that seeks to improve cancer care for older patients, his efforts to educate other providers, and the care he gives to his own patients,” said Lisa Carey, MD, physician-in-chief for the N.C. Cancer Hospital, a UNC Lineberger member, a professor in breast cancer research, and chief of the UNC School of Medicine Division of Hematology/Oncology. “He is truly an exemplary caregiver, and we are proud to have the work that he does on a daily basis at UNC Lineberger recognized at a national level.”

The award recognizes individuals who show what Adams, the longtime American Cancer Society executive vice president, referred to as the “warm hand of service.” The award is based on Adams’ own memories of the comfort and caring given by nurses to people facing serious illnesses. It honors men and women who make extraordinary efforts to impact the quality of life of the people they care for and who have a focus on treating the whole person.

Muss is a nationally renowned educator, researcher, and cancer doctor. He has made a decades-long effort to help optimize evaluation and treatment decisions for older patients with cancer, and also works to ensure that his own patients receive the personal attention and respect they deserve.

His research to improve care for geriatric oncology patients included an effort to launch the first clinical trial evaluating chemotherapy in older patients. In addition, he has made tireless efforts to develop tools so physicians can better predict whether a breast cancer patient should be treated with chemotherapy. He is a voice for not only his own patients, but all geriatric cancer patients.