Cancer treatment has evolved dramatically in the first quarter of this century, but there is still much more to do to improve the lives of people with cancer. At Dana-Farber, research continues in the clinic and in the lab in efforts to continue to bring advancements in treatment and prevention for patients. That research has resulted in exciting … Read more
In February 2024, while being treated for pneumonia, doctors noticed that Rebecca Santorelli’s spleen was enlarged. “No one was concerned at first,” recalls Santorelli, 61, who lives outside of Albany, New York. Doctors estimate spleen size with fingerbreadths — or approximate widths of a finger — below the rib cage, with normal being about zero. … Read more
A blood test can now detect the presence of 50 different cancers — most of which do not have any other means of screening. The test, the GRAIL Galleri multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test, reports results that include a yes or no readout regarding the presence of a potential cancer, plus the most likely location … Read more
Dana-Farber’s Centers for Early Detection and Interception, founded in 2023, aim to detect cancer early, when there is a greater chance of treating and curing that cancer. The Centers also serve as a hub for research, with investigators seeking to better understand cancer risk and how it can be reduced. “Dana-Farber has always been the … Read more
Scott Menta describes himself as someone who “likes to stay on top of my health.” So, when he read about a new test that screens for cancer based on tumor cell DNA within the blood, he sprang for the cost of two tests — one for him and one for his wife. His wife’s test … Read more
If you have received a positive result from a GRAIL Galleri test, which is a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test, you need further testing to determine if you have cancer. If you have a positive GRAIL test, that means the test has found a signal that is associated with cancer and requires investigation. Other … Read more
Precursor conditions are early phases of diseases that may develop into cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, and multiple myeloma. Most people with precursor conditions do not experience symptoms, and since doctors rarely screen for these conditions, they are sometimes found through routine blood tests but often remain undiagnosed. “Many diagnoses are purely incidental,” says Irene Ghobrial, MD, director … Read more