Immunotherapy Keeps Stage IV Lung Cancer Patient in Remission
Robert Johnson remains in remission more than three years after participating in a pioneering immunotherapy clinical trial for his stage IV adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer.
Search Results for: lung cancer
Can Immunotherapy Help Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer?
Small cell lung cancer is the most aggressive type of lung cancer. Unlike its far more common counterpart, non-small cell lung cancer, treatment with immunotherapy drugs hasn’t yet been approved for small cell lung cancer, but some early findings in clinical trials suggest this type of treatment may have potential. Small cell lung cancer gets … Read more
Pan-Mass Challenge Team Provides Hope and Happiness for Lung Cancer Patient
The first time a Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) cyclist rode in her honor, a weakened Susan Cardinal sent them a good-luck text as she prepared for surgery. Just one year later, this Dana-Farber patient plans to be waiting excitedly at the Provincetown finish when the PMC team riding for her finishes its two-day journey on Aug. … Read more
What to Know About Lung Cancer in 2017 [Infographic]
Although the mortality rate for lung cancer is declining, this disease is still the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. It also remains the leading cause of cancer death in both sexes. This World Lung Cancer Day, learn about the signs, symptoms, and risk factors for lung … Read more
Tips for Dealing with Lung Cancer Stigma
By Allison DiBiaso, LICSW A cancer diagnosis can fundamentally alter a person’s life, and it can often add an unexpected burden: stigma. Lung cancer patients are some of the people who experience this stigma most, as others may look at or treat them differently because of their diagnosis. In some cases, the patients themselves may … Read more
Cancer Mythbusters Episode #3: Smoking and Lung Cancer
Every time tobacco is inhaled, it creates conditions in the body almost ideally suited to the formation of cancer. So how do experts explain lung cancer in non-smokers – and what are the significant risk factors for lung cancer other than smoking?
Olympian Aly Raisman Honors Grandmother with Support of Lung Cancer Research
Nurses at Dana-Farber are used to hearing patients gush about their children and grandchildren during chemotherapy treatments, but Stephanie Ann Benoit, RN, still smiles when recalling how Nancy Raisman sang the praises of her granddaughter. “Aly is going to be in the Olympics,” the lung cancer patient would say proudly, a prediction that came true … Read more
Finding Happiness Despite Stage IV Lung Cancer
By Joann Totten As a non-smoker, I never imagined I would be diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, let alone at age 50. But that’s what happened on Aug. 5, 2015, just six weeks after I started experiencing a non-productive cough. The doctors felt certain it was bronchitis, but as a radiation therapist for more … Read more
What is the Difference Between Small Cell and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is divided into two general categories based on its appearance under the microscope: small cell and non-small cell. Non-small cell is the more common type and currently accounts for about 87 percent of lung cancers. Doctors make a distinction between the two types of lung cancers because treatment approaches differ for each. There have been many … Read more
Cancer Conversations Podcast – Episode #15: What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer Treatment and Research
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and women, but lung cancer research is advancing rapidly and treatments are improving at an astonishing pace. “Lung cancer research has changed so much today that it’s even hard to estimate what we’re going to be doing in the future,” says Geoffrey Oxnard, MD, of … Read more
Cancer Conversations Podcast – Episode #9: Precision Medicine and Lung Cancer
Although lung cancer is only the second most common cancer in the United States, it is by far the deadliest cancer in both men and women. But thanks to advancements in precision medicine, treatments for lung cancer are improving, and many patients are benefiting from these new, targeted therapies. “When we find we have drugs … Read more
How a Car Accident Helped Diagnose Lung Cancer
We all know what to expect following a car accident: insurance claims, whiplash, maybe even a broken bone. Cancer, though? Not so common. For 40-year-old Laura Greco, this is what happened following a collision on a snowy day in February 2015. If I hadn’t been in the car accident, I wouldn’t have found the cancer … Read more
The Latest in Lung Cancer Treatment and Research
Over the last decade, treatment options for lung cancer patients have evolved drastically. Even in just the last few months, promising research has led to new, approved therapies, and researchers anticipate more advances are on the way. “Drugs are emerging at a rapid pace now,” says Geoffrey Oxnard, MD, of Dana-Farber’s Lowe Center for Thoracic … Read more
Tips for Lung Cancer Patients: What Not to Do
This post is adapted from an article that originally appeared on the Huffington Post. Over the past decade, researchers have made great strides in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for lung cancer, offering hope to patients with the deadliest form of cancer in the United States. In addition to seeking innovative medical care, patients can also … Read more
For Lung Cancer Patient, Targeted Therapy and Talented Team Made All the Difference
As the wife of a New England sportscaster, and the sister and mother of athletes, Lisa Eid understands sports metaphors. So when the 48-year-old non-smoker learned that she had stage IV lung cancer last year, she knew what her husband, Dave, meant when he said, “We need to find the Tom Brady of lung cancer … Read more
Immunotherapy and Lung Cancer: Exploring the Latest Research
The year 2015 marked a milestone in the treatment of lung cancer, with two new immunotherapy drugs approved for patients with advanced disease, bringing a new approach to this hard-to-treat cancer. Several other immunotherapy agents are also moving forward in clinical trials. In the past few years, scientists have found ways to disable the molecular … Read more
FDA Approves New Drug for Some Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
The FDA announced today it has approved a new pill to treat certain patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The oral medication, Tagrisso (osimertinib), has been approved for NSCLC patients whose tumors have a specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation (T790M) and whose disease has worsened after treatment with other EGFR-blocking therapy. … Read more
Lung Cancer: What Women Need to Know
This post originally appeared on the Brigham and Women’s Health Hub Blog. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United States. For women, it accounts for more deaths than breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer combined. Consequently, medical researchers have been working hard to increase our understanding of … Read more
Approval of Targeted Lung Cancer Drug Iressa Culminates Long Research Trail
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug Iressa® for a form of metastatic lung cancer represents a return to prominence for the compound that launched the era of targeted therapy in lung cancer – even if that wasn’t clear at the time of its original clinical trial in patients. The FDA approved Iressa (gefitinib) … Read more
The Latest in Precision Medicine and Lung Cancer
Even before President Barack Obama declared it a national initiative, precision medicine has helped bring more effective treatment to patients with many types of cancer. One disease that has benefited from these treatments is lung cancer, where targeted therapies have significantly improved outcomes for patients. “When we find we have drugs targeted for a specific … Read more