Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD, has been trying to understand how breast cancer forms ever since starting her lab at Dana-Farber in 1998. Specifically, she has wanted to know how ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a pre-cancerous state that appears only in the milk ducts in the breast, changes into invasive breast cancer, which is breast … Read more
Anal cancer is a cluster of abnormal cells that grow in the anal canal and may appear like firm lumps or bumps, an open sore, or wart-like. Those who are infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) are more likely to develop anal cancer, among other types of cancer, such as cervical and head and neck cancers. HPV refers to a large … Read more
One by one, our immune cells march to the frontlines when it gets a whiff of an invader. They are ready to fight and protect our systems from what is about to attack. But what if we can recruit these specialized soldiers for glioblastoma — a malignant brain cancer that struggles to have enough immune … Read more
The first time Ashley Bernath dropped her then-three-year-old daughter, Charlie, off at preschool, there was no hug, no tears, no long goodbye — just a quick “see you later” and a full-steam-ahead dash for the classroom. Charlie’s excitement that morning in September 2025 was understandable. She had spent the previous 15 months in active cancer … Read more
When the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies’ Practice Manager Sara Menendez, LAT, ATC, learned she had Lynch syndrome at age 30, she had dozens of questions. A hereditary condition, Lynch syndrome raises a person’s risk for cancer in several organs including the colon, endometrium, ovaries, and skin. Suddenly faced with this new information, … Read more
As she got out of the car and waved goodbye to her husband and her mother, Margaret-Ann Simonetta’s shoulders stiffened with anxiety. It was April 2021, still in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was headed into Brigham and Women’s Hospital for a colectomy – a total surgical removal of her colon. With … Read more
CAR T-cell therapy is a newer form of immunotherapy that can treat some types of blood cancers, such as lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia. Patients can be treated with this therapy as an inpatient or outpatient, depending on their case and specific needs. “Historically, we were giving these therapies in the hospital, but what we’ve … Read more
A cancer clinical trial is a research study that is designed to test new ways to treat cancer. Trials test a range of possibilities, from treatment, devices, and diagnostics to screening, approaches to prevention, and other forms of intervention. Clinical trials determine if a given intervention is safe and effective and are essential for improvements in cancer medicine. “All of the medicines and approaches that we use to treat cancer are available because they … Read more
Rare genetic cancers may affect few people, but their complexity makes them powerful windows into how even the most common cancers develop and behave. Delving into understanding how DNA is damaged and repaired in rare genetic conditions is how physician-scientist Alan D’Andrea, MD, built a foundation of knowledge about Fanconi anemia (FA) – a rare genetic disease of the bone marrow that significantly increases the risk of certain cancers. In people with … Read more
A stem cell transplant is a procedure during which doctors either replace diseased or ineffective stem cells with healthy new stem cells as treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers or diseases. The infusion of healthy stem cells reestablishes a healthy blood supply and rebuilds the body’s immune system to effectively fight cancer. At Dana-Farber, patients can be eligible for a stem cell transplant in either an outpatient or inpatient setting. This is often determined by a variety of factors, including … Read more
The differences between cancers in adults and children go well beyond age. In many respects, they are markedly different diseases.
It was a hot day on the links in New Hampshire in July 2014. Carol MacKenzie recalls that her neck was strangely sore. By the end of the round of golf, she had a fever. Soon after, MacKenzie met with an oncologist. In 1996, she had been diagnosed with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer and successfully treated. Eighteen years later, … Read more
Dienna Lehner grew up in a Massachusetts town with a small ski hill and a rope tow. “It was hot dogs, tomato soup, and an outdoor fireplace,” she recalls. “And it was Nirvana.” Later in life, she opted to spend her winters in Park City, Utah, to enjoy big mountain skiing. The conditions have been mild this year, but last year she skied all season – which … Read more
When Ann Carroll was diagnosed with cancer at age 28, her dream to get married and have a baby felt out of reach. Now, seven years later and cancer-free, she is living that dream with her husband and their 7-month-old son, Teddy. “I didn’t think I would get this far,” says Carroll, of Boston, Massachusetts. “My whole journey started when I walked into my doctor’s office because I wasn’t feeling well.” As a graduate student in 2019 studying clinical psychology at Northwestern University, Carroll started experiencing lightheadedness and tunnel … Read more
Since she was a young child in a family in which Portuguese and German were often spoken, Sarah Downey, 23, has been fascinated with different languages and cultures. Now, as a recent college graduate living with a very rare cancer of the heart known as cardiac angiosarcoma, Downey is committed to helping others facing cancer, along with their providers and caregivers, … Read more
Bill Kelley’s unbreakable bond with the clinical team that guided him through myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a group of rare blood disorders impacting the bone marrow, and a stem cell transplant was never more evident than during a Sunday night in the summer of 2025. Kelley’s sister Joan had arranged a surprise 70th birthday baseball outing for him and 30 of his friends and family members at Boston’s Fenway Park, where Kelley had grown up … Read more
In the kitchen of Sabor de Minas, Caesar Sodre plates delicious Brazilian fare. For Sodre, 66, food is a love language and a way to care for his customers. For more than two decades, the bright blue Brazilian restaurant in Framingham, Massachusetts, has been a cornerstone of his community. That community — including staff and longtime customers — returned the care by … Read more
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
If you look down at your stomach, glide your eyes diagonally from your belly button to the lower right side of your abdomen: that’s your appendix. It is a finger-shaped organ that stems from your colon. With two primary functions — supporting the immune system and potentially serving as a safe house for good bacteria, as theorized from some– the appendix is a small, but mighty organ that is important to take note of, especially given the recent … Read more
The call from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) seemed to come from out of nowhere, but it bore some hopeful news: Dana-Farber senior project manager Alexandria Monteiro’s stem cells were a match for a stranger with leukemia who needed a stem cell transplant. “I don’t remember signing up,” Monteiro admits, “but based on who I know myself to be,” she continues, “it does sound like something I would have done.” … Read more