Patricia Smith’s experience with cancer will stay with her for the rest of her life. “Walking through deep waters changes you,” she says. “You’re still the same person, but you’re different.” In 2009, Smith was diagnosed with B-cell diffuse lymphoma after she experienced weeks of fatigue and found a lump under her right arm. She … Read more
Adult Hodgkin lymphoma has one of the highest cure rates among all cancers. Still, the standard lymphoma therapies – including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and steroid therapy – may result in long-term side-effects beginning during treatment, and/or late-term effects arising years or decades after treatment. This is why check-ups and screenings are so important following treatment. … Read more
Good nutrition plays a key role in cancer prevention and survivorship. With the right pantry items, patients can help manage side effects of treatment and potentially lower risk of recurrence. In this Cancer Conversations podcast episode, Dana-Farber nutritionist Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, discusses the best diet for cancer patients, as well as tips for … Read more
Cancer survivorship programs and services used to be something that patients would think about as they neared the end of active treatment, but that’s changing. “More Americans are surviving cancer than ever before, and partly as a result of that, the model for survivorship care is changing,” says Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, director of Dana-Farber’s … Read more
Regardless of diagnosis, nutrition is an important part of cancer treatment. Foods and diet can help maintain overall health, control side effects, and sometimes prevent future medical problems. “Good nutrition plays a key role in cancer prevention as well as survivorship,” says Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, a nutritionist with Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center. … Read more
Cognitive dysfunction is a common and frustrating side effect for many patients who undergo chemotherapy. The condition – also called “chemobrain” – can create problems with memory, attention and concentration, information processing, and mental skills used for organizing and scheduling. For many years, medical professionals were skeptical that these cognitive issues were a real side effect of … Read more
Award-winning photographer Richard Conboy understands the value of enjoying the moment, both in his pictures and in his life. Conboy had Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a teenager, and 40 years later, he beat colon cancer with the help of the Dana-Farber.
Kathy Giusti was driving in rush hour traffic one January day in 1996 when her doctor called and requested they meet the next morning about her recent blood tests. Alarmed, Giusti insisted on more details, and the doctor eventually shared his concerns that she may have multiple myeloma. Giusti’s response to this news was quick … Read more
Jim Omel, MD, helped many cancer patients during his long career as a family physician, and that has not changed since his own 1997 diagnosis with multiple myeloma. What has changed is the reach of his support. While Omel, 77, cared for primarily farming families near his Nebraska clinic during 25-plus years in practice, his … Read more
In Catherine Argyrople’s “Growing Pains,” a scene set on a sunny day at a high school pool party becomes a way to explore how pediatric cancer can affect teenagers in survivorship. The protagonist, a curly-haired highschooler named Zoe wears a bikini for the first time in her life, revealing a scar on her stomach. A … Read more
Throughout the 20 years Robert Jenkins has been living with follicular lymphoma, he has been through many different treatments — from traditional chemotherapy protocols to innovative approaches like CAR T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies. His lengthy survivorship has allowed Jenkins to benefit from new advances as they’ve emerged, and along with his wife, Lorna, one … Read more
Ruth Nelson struggled with her new breast cancer diagnosis mentally and physically. On treatment, her cardiac health faltered, her blood pressure spiked, and she experienced an unexplained episode in which she briefly lost her speech. And on top of that, she felt as if she were “a problem to be managed” by her friends and … Read more
As a veteran scuba diver who has donned her wetsuit around the globe, Stephanie Lafontaine is never more at peace than when deep below the water’s surface. Even if she’s sharing the depths with sharks, she considers it her happy place. So when Lafontaine, 42, learned in April 2019 that she had inflammatory breast cancer … Read more
Arliene T. Penn entered the Mrs. Globe pageant in 2023 not to win a title, but rather to spread a very important message on a very large stage. In the end, she did both. Competing as Mrs. British Virgin Islands, Penn reached the semifinals of the international event. Far more important to her, however, was … Read more
With the season of sniffles and sneezes upon us, it’s integral to ensure your immune system is shored up. The immune system is a complicated mechanism that defends you from bacteria and viruses, and it’s especially important for many people undergoing treatment for cancer. Many chemotherapies damage the immune system as they attack all fast-growing … Read more
Jake Maguire was just three days away from his sixth birthday when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Encouraged by his father, a gym teacher, the young Maguire was already in love with sports, especially baseball. Now 23 and over a decade out of treatment, that love is still strong, and Maguire is … Read more
Jennifer Thorn has worked hard her whole life running a family law practice and raising her family, but in April 2021, just as she began to enjoy her success, she faced a new challenge. After experiencing pain while lying on her side, Thorn, 48, of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, visited her primary care physician who ordered bloodwork … Read more
Cancer has not stopped Bethany Ross and Jeremy Pivor from undertaking numerous adventures, from Pivor’s sailing trips on the high seas to Bethany’s forays into skydiving and outdoor rock climbing. It is also often the catalyst for their actions, such as when both Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center patients headed to Washington, D.C. to advocate on … Read more
During a long career in the food industry, Susan Greelish, 64, has prided herself on forming strong, familial-like bonds with her colleagues and customers. When it came to her treatment for breast cancer and kidney cancer, however, these feelings of kinship and trust were missing — until she found her newest family just a few … Read more
By Valerie Frank Ever since I can remember, I’ve made people laugh. I was always the funny friend, and when I was in my mid-20s I made it official by becoming a Main Stage cast member of ImprovBoston — an improvisational comedy theater in Cambridge, MA. Once I retired from improv to become a suburban … Read more