In trial after clinical trial, metastatic colorectal cancer has been largely undeterred by immune checkpoint inhibitors. Although these drugs have shown effectiveness in Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and nearly a dozen other malignancies, their track record against colorectal cancer has been lackluster, particularly for patients with the most common subtype of … Read more
While hematological cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma involve white blood cells, other, rarer hematologic malignancies affect red blood cells and platelets. These include polycythemia vera, in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, and essential thrombocythemia, in which platelets levels are abnormally high. Both are chronic diseases that can usually … Read more
The body doesn’t mourn the loss of an infected or cancerous cell. Some cells die quietly, like a wounded animal searching for cover. Others go down in a blaze of publicity, poking holes in their membranes and spewing out substances that broadcast the news to the immune system. The latter mode of death — known … Read more
Follicular lymphoma is a slow-growing form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that arises in white blood cells called B lymphocytes. It’s named for the clumps of abnormal B cells, called follicles, that develop in patients’ lymph nodes. It accounts for 20-30% of all cases of NHL. Although follicular lymphoma currently isn’t curable, patients can live with … Read more
GERD, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, occurs when stomach acid repeatedly flows back up the esophagus, the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach. This irritates the lining of the esophagus, causing heartburn and, in some cases, an influx of stomach acid into the throat and mouth. Occasional GERD — also known as acid … Read more
Lynch syndrome is an inherited condition that increases an individual’s risk for certain types of cancer. It’s caused by a mutation in any of five specific genes: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, and EPCAM. People born with a mutation in one or more of these genes have a significantly increased risk of developing colorectal or uterine cancer and a somewhat … Read more
BCL2 inhibitors are drugs that prompt cancer cells to die by altering the interactions among key proteins within the cells. They were clinically developed, in large part, by researchers at Dana-Farber and have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia … Read more
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diagnosed in more than 18,000 people in the U.S. every year. It is a fast-growing lymphoma that can arise in the lymph nodes or, more rarely, in organs such as the spleen, liver, and others. As its name indicates, DLBCL involves the … Read more
Its nickname “the executioner protein” might give one the idea that BAX has a sinister role in cell life. But its killing has more to do with sacrifice than malice. When a human cell is suffering from a lack of oxygen, a toxin, a genetic mutation, or other source of stress, it may kill itself … Read more
When Youling Sun was diagnosed in Shanghai, China, with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2018, he called his son, Conghao, in Boston, for advice. His son’s message was unequivocal: Come to Boston for your treatment. Today, Sun, a retired office worker from Shanghai, has multiple reasons to be thankful he took that advice — both … Read more
Research by Dana-Farber scientists shows cancer cells can use the TREX1 protein to silence genes that might summon an immune system attack on the cells.
A pair of subversives, the genes BTK and PLCG2 are often mutated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that is resistant to the drug ibrutinib. But how common are these genetic alterations and to what extent do they contribute to ibrutinib resistance? The answers will help doctors determine which targeted therapies are most likely to help … Read more
Protein degradation is a natural process by which cells break down proteins that are damaged or no longer needed so they can be recycled or disposed of. Scientists at Dana-Farber and elsewhere are harnessing this process to destroy specific proteins involved in cancer, an approach known as targeted protein degradation. In contrast to traditional targeted … Read more
Clinical trials are scientific studies in which new treatments — drugs, diagnostic procedures, and other therapies — are tested in people to find out if they are safe and effective. Nearly all cancer drugs in use today were tested in clinical trials. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, the benefits of participating in a clinical … Read more
Waldenström macroglobulinemia, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has its share of eccentricities. One of the hallmarks of the disease, for example, is an overabundance of a particular protein, yet other conditions may also have that feature. It’s also not unusual for patients to have very high protein levels but have no symptoms or mild … Read more
What is NUT carcinoma? NUT carcinoma, formerly known as NUT-midline carcinoma, is a rare but very aggressive cancer that can develop anywhere in the body but usually starts in the head, neck, and lungs. It’s a squamous cell cancer — meaning it begins in squamous cells, which line hollow organs such as the windpipe and … Read more
A growing body of research points to a connection between alcohol consumption and elevated cancer risk. Studies from the American Institute for Cancer Research have found that having even less than one drink a day, of any kind of alcohol, increases the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, stomach, mouth, … Read more
Michelle Karalekas’ time in the Mont Tremblant Ironman Triathlon in Quebec on Aug. 20 — 14 hours, 5 minutes — was not her fastest in the grueling event, but it may have been her most impressive. It was the first time she’d competed since undergoing a stem cell transplant for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) almost … Read more
Wind up a mechanical mouse, set it down, and watch it go. New research by Dana-Farber scientists shows that boosting a single protein in the liver can have the same animating effect in real mice. The protein, called MIC19, produces changes deep inside liver cells that help the body burn nutrients, protecting against obesity and … Read more
There are several ways to ruin a tune: play the wrong notes, play them at the wrong time, or with the wrong emphasis. Cancer cells, working from a corrupted score – their genome – manage to do all three. In cancer, bad instructions meet improper execution. Tumor cells are notorious for alterations of their genome: … Read more