When Rosemary Fischer gets calls from friends and family complaining about the challenges of staying home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, she is always ready with a good-natured response. “Wait, you’re climbing the walls after three weeks?” she said in a recent chat. “I’ve been doing it for three years!” The callers, of course, know … Read more
In times of immense stress and adversity, music and the arts are sometimes viewed as nothing more than novelties: Things to be used and enjoyed in happier times. However, music may be able to help the most during these hard times. It has been proven that listening to music can have a meaningful psychological and … Read more
How does a person get coronavirus? Coronavirus is spread primarily by exposure to respiratory droplets that are generated when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. If these droplets come in contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth of another person, infection can develop. Infected droplets can remain active on surfaces for some time. This can happen, for … Read more
As scientists race to develop and test new treatments for COVID-19, Dana-Farber’s Wayne Marasco, MD, PhD, and his lab team are bringing one of the world’s most formidable resources to the effort: a “library” of 27 billion human antibodies against viruses, bacteria, and other bodily invaders. The collection, created by Marasco and his associates in … Read more
A massive international effort has taken a big step toward mapping all the major cancer-causing mutations in the human genome, generating new knowledge about how tumors form. The extensive role played by large-scale structural mutations in cancer was among the findings of the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Project, according to Rameen Beroukhim, MD, … Read more
The coronavirus pandemic has brought sweeping changes to many of our daily routines and social interactions. It’s important to remember that the emotions you feel during this time are normal, and it’s OK to have them. It can also be valuable to work towards a plan, centered around self-care, that will allow you to address … Read more
On June 16, 2019, our 4-year-old son, Evan, fell off a jungle gym at daycare. At first, his daycare provider thought he was fine. He got right up and seemed to recover. She called me and we agreed to watch him to see if there were any changes. A couple hours later, Evan started throwing … Read more
As one of three family members with the same first and last name, John E. Duggan found individuality through initials while growing up — becoming universally known as “Jed.” Having survived both stage III colon cancer and thyroid cancer before age 30, he is refusing to let another familial tie get him down. Duggan has MUTYH-associated polyposis (or MAP), … Read more
Regular exercise helps maintain your well-being and can be especially necessary during times of acute stress. Working out — or performing moderate to vigorous physical activity that elevates your heart rate and activates muscles — can have numerous positive effects on your health, both physically and emotionally. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress and … Read more
Immunocompromised individuals are potentially at a higher risk for severe illness from the coronavirus, or COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We’re here to help — here is some general information about what it means to be immunocompromised, and how you can protect yourself. This information is specific to people … Read more
Cancer and other health conditions not only affect the body physically; they can also carry a major emotional impact. While the main focus for many patients is treating the cancer itself and its accompanying side effects, it’s also crucial to address your mental health. While there are many ways to do this, meditation and mindfulness … Read more
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), some grocery stores have been overwhelmed by people looking to stock up on supplies. Individuals are also increasingly encouraged to practice social distancing and self-quarantine. As a result, accessing fresh and healthy ingredients can be more challenging than usual. Stephanie Meyers, MS, RD, a nutritionist at the Leonard P. Zakim … Read more
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory virus that can be easily spread from person to person. COVID-19 spreads through an infected person’s small droplets that land on another person’s eyes, nose, or mouth, or a surface that is then touched by someone. The best preventive measure against the virus is to get a COVID-19 vaccine. … Read more
Practicing proper hand hygiene is a simple, yet extremely effective, way of preventing the spread of germs and diseases. By washing your hands properly, and often, you can protect yourself as well as your family and even the community you live in. When should I wash my hands? When in doubt, wash! It’s important to … Read more
Pancreatic cancer isn’t as common as some other cancers, but it is somewhat renowned for being difficult to treat. Symptoms usually don’t show up until the cancer has grown to an advanced stage, but now, more than ever, patients with pancreatic cancer have good reason to be optimistic about their futures due to advances researchers … Read more
Martha Pena has endured breast cancer twice (once in each breast), lung cancer that metastasized to her brain, and stomach (gastric) cancer — all by age 40. Now 42, she is receiving ongoing treatment for her lung and gastric cancer at Dana-Farber, where she was also diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a rare hereditary condition … Read more
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer affecting both adults and children, requires more than one genetic “hit” to develop. As we age, many of us acquire a mutation that enables certain of our blood cells to multiply faster than others, forming their own distinct population. This first hit, known as “clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate … Read more
Neuroblastoma is a rare childhood cancer affecting about 800 children each year in the United States. Because of its unusual behavior — tumors in infants often disappear spontaneously without treatment while it can be aggressive in toddlers — studying the disease has been complicated. That may change with a new research tool: a mouse genetically altered … Read more
One of the reasons Fangjyh Chern loves photography is because it allows her to capture a unique moment in time. For her, the fun and challenge comes from photographing instances that can never be truly reproduced or recreated. Since her own cancer diagnosis in 2014, Chern says she has had a heightened awareness of the … Read more
This article was written by Donna Vatnick, BS, clinical research coordinator in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention. Historically, cancer risk has been confined to the binary: male versus female. After the discovery of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the mid-90s, testing of these genes was most often recommended to women. The substantially … Read more