When Is Weight Loss a Sign of Cancer?

Everyone’s weight fluctuates over the course of life, rising or falling with changes in diet and exercise, and with the normal slowing of metabolism that occurs as we age. When weight loss occurs for no apparent reason – especially if the drop is dramatic – a variety of physical or psychological causes could be responsible. … Read more

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

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 #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

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

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