The Power of Long-Range Hope and Courage 

While participating in a clinical trial, Kathleen McEvoy-Schufreider, a 60-year-old communications executive living in Haverhill, Mass., traveled to Dana-Farber for scans every twelve weeks to monitor her cancer. In between appointments, it was hard to put the scans out of her mind.  “I was living in twelve-week bursts,” says McEvoy-Schufreider, who was diagnosed with early-stage … Read more

What is Immunopeptidomics? 

A burgeoning type of “omics” called immunopeptidomics is providing researchers with a powerful approach to discovering new ways to train a person’s immune system to fight cancer.  In cancer research, the approach is being used to take an inventory of every flag on the surface of a cancer cell and determine what it is, if … Read more

How Clinical Trials Move Cancer Treatment Forward

Clinical trials assess the safety and efficacy of new cancer drugs or drug combinations. The data and learnings these studies collect help regulators determine if the treatments should be approved and made broadly available to patients.  Clinical researchers conduct clinical trials at cancer institutes, medical centers, clinics, and hospitals worldwide, all under strict guidelines. Many … Read more

Program Specializes in Older Adults with Gastrointestinal Cancers 

Dana-Farber’s Older Adult Gastrointestinal Cancer Program specializes in treating patients who are 65 and older and have gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal cancer, esophageal and gastric cancer, liver cancer, neuroendocrine and pancreatic cancer.   “Older adults are richly complex and multidimensional,” says gastrointestinal and geriatric oncologist Nadine McCleary, MD, MPH, who leads the program. “They deserve … Read more

Microplastics and Cancer: Your Questions Answered 

In recent decades, rates of some cancers, such as colorectal cancer, have been rising in young adults under the age of 50. One possible explanation for this rise is a parallel rise in obesity rates and changes in diet, activity levels and lifestyle.   However, says Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, director of Dana-Farber’s Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer … Read more

A Year of Advances in Genitourinary Cancer 

Dana-Farber’s genitourinary cancer team is devoted to research that will advance patient care and improve patient’s lives. Recently, that research — all of it years in the making — has paid off with major achievements.  This includes:  “We are constantly striving to improve the treatment and diagnosis of genitourinary cancers,” says Toni Choueiri, MD, director … Read more

Expanding Options for Patients with Ovarian Cancer 

In 2021, a novel drug called belzutifan was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. Since then, Dana-Farber clinical investigator Panos Konstantinopoulos, MD, PhD, has wanted to launch a clinical trial of the drug for clear cell ovarian cancer.  That vision … Read more

What’s on My Slide? What Pathologists See and Learn Under the Microscope 

Pathologists at Dana-Farber analyze tumor samples from tissues collected from patients as part of research studies. Their goal is to learn as much as possible about the sample so that they determine the best way to diagnose the disease precisely and guide treatment decisions.  As research advances, more and more factors are influencing diagnoses and … Read more