Pediatric Leukemia Patient Follows in His Father’s Footsteps 

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

What You Need to Know About Cooking Oils and Cancer 

In the culinary world, cooking oils like olive, avocado, vegetable, and canola, are indispensable. But amid the frying, sautéing, and dressing, whispers of concern have arisen regarding the potential link between cooking oils and cancer.   There is ongoing research into the relationship between cooking oils and cancer, as well as the chemical reactions created during … Read more

Tailored Treatment and Support for Older Adults with Breast Cancer 

The trip from Nantucket to Boston, involving a long drive and ferry ride, is an arduous four-hour journey (not counting summer traffic). But when Nantucket resident and retired educator, Claudia Kilvert, was diagnosed with breast cancer, she committed to regularly getting in the car with her husband and 80-pound golden retriever Luna to get treatment … Read more

Lessons From a Lawyer Living with Ovarian Cancer 

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

Navigating the Mental Health Toll of Prostate Cancer and Its Side Effects 

Although early detection and treatment advances have significantly improved survival rates for patients with prostate cancer, the majority will face some form of sexual health side effect. Addressing these physical and emotional side effects is a priority for care teams at Dana-Farber.  But longstanding cultural barriers can often keep men from discussing sensitive issues like … Read more

Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer, Mother is Given a Chance to Raise Her Son 

Just over a year after giving birth to her son, Emmett, Abigail Myers faced a devastating diagnosis of breast cancer in March 2014.   It started when Myers woke up one morning feeling sore. When she found a lump, she rushed to her doctor, all the while in disbelief that she might have cancer.  A resident … Read more

Prostate Cancer Rates Raise Concerns: What You Should Know

Overall, cancer death rates have declined by 33% since 1991, according to a Jan. 2023 American Cancer Society report. Multiple cancers like leukemia, melanoma, and kidney cancer have seen significant declines in mortality due to great advances in treatments.   Prostate cancer rates had been on the decline for two decades, but the ACS report remarks that … Read more

Do Contraceptives Reduce or Increase the Risk of Cancer?

Millions of people regularly take or use contraceptives, such as birth control pills, to avoid unwanted pregnancy or relieve menstruation-related side effects such as cramps or heavy bleeding.   There is some evidence that contraceptives may affect cancer risk — specifically, that oral contraceptives may increase the likelihood of developing breast and cervical cancers but reduce … Read more

Mother with Rare Type of Brain Metastasis Doing Well on Novel Treatment

Langley Perer thought her breast cancer was in the rearview mirror. In 2017, she had received a shocking diagnosis at age 35 of ductal in situ carcinoma (DCIS), the earliest form of breast cancer. “As far as I knew, I had no family history of breast cancer,” she says. DCIS is sometimes referred to as … Read more

Mother, Community Leader with Breast Cancer Has Remarkable Response to Immunotherapy

Nancy Arsenault was taking a lunch break from driving her elementary school bus route in her hometown of Stow, Massachusetts, when she began to experience double vision. She had been first diagnosed with pre-invasive breast cancer in 2006, which recurred in 2011. In 2019, she developed an invasive breast cancer in her chest wall and … Read more

What is a Tumor, Exactly?

A tumor, also known as a neoplasm, is an abnormal swelling or enlargement within the body caused by cells dividing more than they should or not dying when they should.  What is the difference between a tumor and cancer?  Although the words “tumor” and “cancer” are often used interchangeably, they aren’t synonymous. A noncancerous (benign) … Read more