Clinical administrative specialists help patients manage many logistical needs that can arise during cancer treatment, from coordinating outside lab work and imaging to assisting with documentation and referrals. In Dana-Farber’s Gynecologic Oncology Program, Matthew Poolor works closely with oncology nurse navigators, providers, and clinical research teams to help patients access the care and support they … Read more
Whether it’s information from Google search, social media post, podcast, or AI-generated response, health information has never been easier to access. While this can help people learn more about their health and ask informed questions, it can also make it difficult to know what information is trustworthy. Timothy Rebbeck, PhD, professor of cancer prevention at … Read more
GLP-1 medications have received significant attention for their effectiveness in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. More recently, researchers have begun exploring another question: Could these medications also affect cancer risk? While some studies suggest that GLP-1 medications may be associated with lower rates of certain cancers, researchers are still working to understand whether those … Read more
From the time Lorna Brunelle was a child, belting songs into her hairbrush, she knew she belonged in the spotlight. Over the years, Brunelle’s passion for acting and singing evolved into a career in education and coaching. She opened a performing arts school and now owns a theater in her hometown of Middleborough, MA. When … Read more
When Will Verbits noticed a cut on the side of his foot in the summer of 2024, he wasn’t worried. The longtime administrator of special education assumed he’d somehow gotten a blister. He was happily looking forward to retirement, eager to brush up on his cooking skills. But, over time, a lesion developed and grew. … Read more
In April, Riley McDevitt received test results from her genetic counselor at Dana-Farber. Tests showed a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome and McDevitt knew exactly what she wanted to do after hearing the news: celebrate with her family over tacos. The diagnosis wasn’t entirely unexpected. “I have a family history of Lynch syndrome, so I’ve known … Read more
On his 75th birthday, when most people would be celebrating, William Scimone received some of the worst news of his life: he had anal cancer. It was a devastating blow, but having watched his mother battle lung cancer years earlier, Scimone knew three things: he needed the best care available, he needed the support of … Read more
Sarcomas are cancers that occur in bone or soft tissue, such as muscles and fat. These cancers are rare and diverse, with more than 150 different variations. Treatment is advancing for some sarcomas, but most forms of the disease are still treated using chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery. In some cases, there are few options if the cancer comes back. Dana-Farber physician-scientists are evaluating innovative new therapies in clinical trials … Read more
Annie Beauchemin, BSN, RN, has spent 41 years caring for children and families at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund Clinic. Now an Oncology Nurse Navigator in the Pediatric Ambulatory Clinic, Beauchemin reflects on the lessons she’s learned throughout her career, the importance of presence and connection in patient care, and the advice she shares with … Read more
Many cancer therapies work by docking into specific “binding pockets” on the surface of proteins that are driving the disease. Scientists are continually searching for new binding sites for future cancer drugs, but this process can be slow and cumbersome. Now, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in collaboration with scientists at MIT and École Polytechnique … Read more
Tammy Hshieh, MD, MPH, is the lead geriatrician for geriatric oncology at Dana-Farber, working with the programs for Older Adults with Hematologic Malignancy, Older Adults with Breast Cancer, and Older Adults with Gastrointestinal Cancers. As a physician-scientist, her research focuses on promoting healthier aging and improving cognition and function as well as understanding and preventing … Read more
When Donna McDaniel came to Dana-Farber with what she thought was lung cancer in 2024, she could barely walk and struggled to breathe. She’d been treated elsewhere, but the drugs had seemingly stopped working. Her quality of life was suffering, and she couldn’t keep up with her busy catering job at Blue Cross Blue Shield. … Read more
Shelly Sepulveda grew up in Borger, Texas, a Panhandle town with a population of fewer than 10,000 people. A strong sense of connectedness bound the community together, creating long-lasting friendships and a tight-knit feel. When Sepulveda and her wife, Tami, relocated to Medway, Massachusetts, to continue their nursing careers, they found that familiar sense of … Read more
As a 20-year mammographer, 72-year-old Catherine Mulqueen often encountered patients at their most vulnerable. And she was always proactive about her own healthcare, especially because her cystic breasts made potentially worrisome lumps hard to detect. Mulqueen stayed current on mammograms until 2010 when her husband, Michael, became gravely ill with renal cell carcinoma. When she … Read more
From vibrantly frosted cupcakes to fruity cereal and rainbow bagels, synthetic dyes are often found in a variety of foods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the use of seven synthetic dyes to impart color on food, but many are being phased out amid growing public concern about whether synthetic food dyes (also … Read more
In 2023, Jackie Coté had just been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Feeling shocked and overwhelmed, she and her friend Nancy Gill, who accompanied Coté to her appointment, silently made their way to the front desk to schedule Coté’s weekly chemotherapy. As Coté entered the appointments into her phone calendar, Gill did the same in … Read more
Nicotine pouches—small packets of nicotine powder placed between the gums and lips—are tobacco-free, but are they truly safer than cigarettes, vapes, chewing tobacco, and other nicotine products? A product with historic roots The practice of soaking tobacco leaves in water and pressing them between the gums and lips because popular among Swedish aristocracy in 1637 … Read more
Cold plunges, the act of immersing the body in cold water for therapeutic benefit, have been used for centuries — from vinterbading in Scandinavia (swimming in cold water during winter months) to misogi in Japan (a Shinto practice of purifying the body under a cold or icy waterfall) to ice baths in the United States … Read more
Medical advances tend to unfold slowly over many years, fueled by successive clinical studies that build upon each other and together provide the evidence needed to change patient care. A key illustration of this point comes from a recent phase 3 clinical trial, published last October in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), which … Read more
In March 2016, two months before joining Dana-Farber, Sara Menendez, LAT, ATC, attended LYNKED IN, an annual one-day conference hosted by Dana-Farber’s Lynch Syndrome Center. The event gave her an opportunity to meet colleagues and learn about treatment advances, screening guidelines, and prevention efforts for Lynch syndrome, an inherited and often underdiagnosed condition that increases … Read more