In April, Riley McDevitt received test results from her genetic counselor at Dana-Farber. Tests showed a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome and McDevitt knew exactly what she wanted to do after hearing the news: celebrate with her family over tacos. The diagnosis wasn’t entirely unexpected. “I have a family history of Lynch syndrome, so I’ve known … Read more
While men are four times more likely to develop bladder cancer as they age, women and African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease at a later stage, when treatment is less likely to be curative. The key to an early diagnosis is a timely visit to a urologist, a specialist who … Read more
Bilasan Hammo, MD, had just turned 30, and everything seemed set up for a successful move into adulthood. As she wrapped up her residency at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, she landed a prestigious fellowship in Boston Children’s Hospital’s Gastrointestinal-Nutrition Department. Heavily influenced by her father – who is also a pediatric gastroenterologist – the fellowship felt … Read more
Acute leukemias are life-threatening blood conditions that need urgent treatment. Approved targeted therapies such as BCL2, IDH, and menin inhibitors have expanded treatment options for certain patients, but determining if a given patient might benefit from one of these treatments can take time. Doctors need to order multiple complex diagnostic workups that can take days … Read more
On his 75th birthday, when most people would be celebrating, William Scimone received some of the worst news of his life: he had anal cancer. It was a devastating blow, but having watched his mother battle lung cancer years earlier, Scimone knew three things: he needed the best care available, he needed the support of … Read more
The third year Jerome Krasnow’s annual bloodwork came back showing signs of anemia, his doctor sent him to a hematologist. That doctor diagnosed multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. “Most people with multiple myeloma find out because they are in pain or breaking bones,” says Krasnow, who was diagnosed at age 70 and is … Read more
Before Mary and Abby Kissiday-Diamond were married, they met regularly at a Cambridge church for discussion groups hosted by the lesbian civil rights group, Daughters of Bilitis. Through 1969 to the early 2000s, these meetings were organized as a safe place for members of the lesbian community to express themselves. Mary was immediately intrigued by … Read more
Sarcomas are cancers that occur in bone or soft tissue, such as muscles and fat. These cancers are rare and diverse, with more than 150 different variations. Treatment is advancing for some sarcomas, but most forms of the disease are still treated using chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery. In some cases, there are few options if the cancer comes back. Dana-Farber physician-scientists are evaluating innovative new therapies in clinical trials … Read more
Mammograms are specialized, low-dose X-rays of the breast that can show if and where tumors are located in breast tissue. Mammography is an effective tool for early detection of breast cancer and is considered the primary tool for breast cancer screening. “Breast cancer is a common disease that affects millions of women globally, and detecting … Read more
New medicines called RAS inhibitors are dramatically changing the way pancreatic cancer will be treated over the coming years. They are a beacon of hope for patients with the disease. There are several oral RAS inhibitors for pancreatic cancer in late phase clinical trials, including one that has been given an initial regulatory green light … Read more
Infusion Nurse Jolie Bellemore, BSN, RN, has some experience with American Sign Language (ASL) from college, and was excited to use her knowledge when she was paired with a new 13-year-old patient who was Deaf. However, as Bellmore attempted to converse in sign language with Honoka Kobori, both of them quickly realized that they were … Read more
Mary Shertenlieb wanted to toe the line at the Boston Marathon in 2025, but her body was not on board; she was in the middle of treatment for her fourth cancer diagnosis. This year, however, she ran, completing her fifth Boston and her sixth marathon overall. “I feel so lucky that I get to do this,” says Shertenlieb, age 50, who has raised $156,000 to date for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “I feel this tremendous gratitude at the start line for the generosity and understanding … Read more
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