What’s In Your Chemotherapy Bag?

Joy Yang, 36, diagnosed with stage III inflammatory breast cancer, finds support during treatment from her care team, led by Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, director of Dana-Farber’s Adult Survivorship Program and Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer, and another, unexpected source: her bag. “I’ve perfected my chemo bag,” shares Yang, who is now cancer … Read more

Autologous vs. Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants: What’s the Difference?

A stem cell transplant is a procedure during which doctors either replace diseased or ineffective stem cells with healthy new stem cells or allow high-dose treatment for lymphoma, some testicular cancers, and other diseases. It is often lifesaving for patients with blood cancer and serious blood disorders. A person may need a transplant for a … Read more

Stem Cell Donor, Recipient Meet Up – Seven Years after Their Cells

Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for. Charles “Chuck” Vanada and Tobias Gillmann, connected across 3,700 miles and one life-altering procedure, can attest to that. In September 2009, Vanada – then a 48-year-old non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient – received a stem cell transplant at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (DF/BWCC), thanks to Gillmann, 34, who six … Read more

Meeting Two Challenges: Tips for Dealing with a Cancer-Related Amputation

Felipe Estrela thought things couldn’t get tougher when he was diagnosed with a rare soft tissue cancer called biphasic synovial sarcoma in 2014. Then, shortly after having a tumor the size of a small football removed from his right leg, the 29-year-old faced a new challenge:  an above-the-knee amputation. A husband and father of three … Read more

Improving Childhood Cancer Treatment Worldwide [Infographic]

Cancer knows no borders, and pediatric patients in low- and middle-income countries often have less access to quality care. The Global Health Initiative at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center exists to change this by improving outcomes and survival rates for children with cancer and blood disorders, regardless of their place of birth. View … Read more

What Are the Different Types of Cancer Surgery?

Cancer surgery is used to prevent, diagnose, stage, and treat cancer. It is the oldest type of cancer therapy and generally works best for solid tumors contained in one area. The goals of surgery range from diagnosing cancer to restoring the body’s appearance or function. Each cancer type has specific cancer operations that may be … Read more

Which Countries Have the Highest Rates of the World’s Most Common Cancers? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Cancer occurs worldwide, and commonly – in 2012, there were an estimated 14.1 million new cancer cases globally, according to the World Cancer Research Fund. But not all cancers are created equally. Certain countries have higher rates of some cancers and lower of others, depending on a number of factors, including health care access, environment, … Read more

Making the Best of Things In The Hospital

By Rich Rothman In 2013, I was facing a lengthy hospital stay after being diagnosed with a life-threatening blood cancer known as myelodysplastic syndromes (”MDS”). I had decided to proceed with a bone marrow transplant, which was thought to be the only potential cure. After being admitted to the hospital, I had intensive, round-the-clock chemotherapy … Read more

When Cancer Occurs in Someone Who Has Already Been Treated, How Do Doctors Determine Whether it’s a New Tumor or the Spread of the Earlier Tumor?

By Christopher Fletcher, MD, FRCPath Chief of Onco-Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Vice Chair for Anatomic Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital In order to determine whether a growth represents relapse of a previously diagnosed cancer or is a newly developed, separate tumor, doctors obtain a tissue sample from the patient and have it examined by a … Read more

What is an Oncology Hospitalist?

Managing the care of cancer patients who need hospitalization calls for specialized resources and expertise, including familiarity with an array of cancer medications and their potential side effects. When an adult cancer patient is admitted to Dana-Farber’s Inpatient Hospital, located within Brigham and Women’s Hospital, his or her care is managed by a team led … Read more

How to Eat Healthfully in the New Year [Webchat]

A new year often means making resolutions – and for many cancer patients, cancer survivors, and caregivers, making the decision to eat healthfully can help promote strength and overall good health. Learn More: What Do Dana-Farber Nutritionists Eat? The Best Foods and Diet for Cancer Treatment and Survivorship [Podcast] Grass-Fed Beef and Wild Fish: Hype or … Read more

What is Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation?

Medically reviewed by Joseph H. Antin, MD A treatment for patients with blood-related cancers and certain blood disorders, stem cell transplantation involves replacing a patient’s unhealthy blood-forming cells with healthy ones. Patients are first treated with chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation therapy, to wipe out or diminish the bone marrow and lymph nodes where cancers such … Read more

BRCA-Positive Mom Takes Control of Her Cancer Risk

After learning in December 2014 that her father was a carrier of the BRCA-1 gene, Katherine Saunders immediately knew she needed genetic testing. The 37-year-old mom of two had a 50-50 chance of inheriting the gene, which increases the risk of ovarian and breast cancers, and was likely responsible for the multiple breast cancer diagnoses in … Read more

For Cancer Survivors, a New Look at New Year’s Resolutions

Olivia Bowie says she’s never been one to make New Year’s resolutions. Since she couldn’t keep commitments like eating healthier or working out more, she didn’t bother making them, the college student jokes. Then, in 2015, doctors discovered she had rhabdomyosarcoma. “Being diagnosed with cancer, and going through treatment, has changed my whole outlook,” says Bowie, … Read more

The Loss of a Child: Stories from Three Bereaved Parents

As told to Sue Morris, PsyD As director of Dana-Farber’s Bereavement Program, I regularly sit with bereaved individuals, listen to their stories, and help them navigate their lives after they have been completely turned upside down. I recently spoke with three bereaved parents who are members of Dana-Farber’s Pediatric Patient and Family Advisory Committee (PFAC), … Read more