CAR T-cell therapy is a cancer treatment in which a patient’s immune system T cells are genetically modified to mount a more effective attack on cancer. As of May 2018, CAR T-cell therapy has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as standard therapy for some adult patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has relapsed after … Read more
In 1947, when Dana-Farber Cancer Institute founder Sidney Farber, MD, set out to find a drug treatment for childhood leukemia, cancer treatment took two forms – surgery to cut out cancerous masses, and radiation therapy to burn them out. Cancers that couldn’t be removed or irradiated – either because of their position in the body, because … Read more
CAR T-cell therapy, like all forms of cancer immunotherapy, seeks to sharpen and strengthen the immune system’s inherent cancer-fighting powers. It involves treating patients with modified versions of their own immune system T cells — white blood cells that help protect the body from disease. CAR T-cell therapy has been approved by the U.S. Food … Read more
A drug called Axicabtagene ciloleucel (KTE-C19) has become the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved to treat a form of cancer in adults, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today. The decision means the drug, known as Yescarta, can now be used for some adults with refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The FDA ruling in … Read more
Twenty years to the day after undergoing the stem cell transplant that saved him, Todd Ellison reunited with the Dana-Farber caregivers who changed his life – in more ways than one. Ellison, who was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in his early 20s, shared handshakes and “thank you” cake with his doctors Joseph Antin, … Read more
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the two major subtypes of lymphoma, and about 72,000 people will be diagnosed with this cancer by the end of 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. There are more than 50 types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma – including B-cell and T-cell lymphomas, as well as fast-growing and slow-growing lymphomas. There … Read more
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) refers to cancer of lymphocytes, which are type of white blood cell and part of the immune system. NHL can occur at any age and is often marked by symptoms including enlarged lymph nodes, fever, and weight loss. It is one of the most common cancers in the United States, accounting for about … Read more
Immunotherapy is an approach to treatment that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer and other diseases. It is used to treat a growing array of cancer types, often with striking success. Lymphoma is a form of cancer that occurs when white blood cells known as lymphocytes grow abnormally. There are now close to … Read more
They grew up in the same house and still vacation together each summer, but Pam and Paula Gorgone do some of their best sisterly bonding when they’re giving platelets. Every other Thursday, with rare exceptions, the siblings sit side-by-side at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center and donate platelets. They chat, watch the news, and … Read more
Being a young adult with cancer comes with its own unique circumstances – and Lauren Leonard is no stranger to those hurdles. Diagnosed with stage IV primary bone diffuse large b-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 22, and now in remission, Leonard has faced challenges in all parts of her life as a result of her diagnosis as … Read more
Adult Hodgkin lymphoma has one of the highest cure rates among all cancers. Still, the standard lymphoma therapies – including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and steroid therapy – may result in long-term side-effects beginning during treatment, and/or late-term effects arising years or decades after treatment. This is why check-ups and screenings are so important following treatment. … Read more
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, or BPDCN, is a rare, aggressive blood cancer, with features of both lymphoma and leukemia. While it is somewhat similar to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), its unique characteristics include abnormal tumor cells that can be found in the blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, or skin. BPDCN is most frequently diagnosed … Read more
Identical twins George and Greg Robinson have been inseparable for 57 years, from sharing a childhood bedroom and classes in school through dual Air Force stints and careers in the airline industry. Today, back in their native Cambridge, Mass., they live just a block apart and still talk several times daily. But there is one … Read more
Ever since he drove a Good Humor truck to pay his way through college, ice cream has meant many things to Dan Schorr: hard work, freedom, friendship, fun. Now, after treatment at Dana-Farber for an aggressive form of lymphoma, he has added another – gratitude. Schorr is founder of Vice Cream, which in June served … Read more
Geriatrician Tammy Hshieh, MD, MPH, introduces herself to patients by saying she is a specialist in aging and complexity. Almost inevitably, a cancer patient in his or her 70s, 80s, or 90s is dealing with more than a tumor – and that’s where Hshieh’s skills and experience can be an asset to the treating oncologist. … Read more
Thanks to major advances in treatment in recent years, patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma today have a much greater life expectancy, even though the blood cancer isn’t curable. It’s possible to think of myeloma – a malignancy affecting antibody-producing immune cells – as a chronic disease with which some individuals can live for many years. … Read more
CAR T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy in which patients’ T cells are modified to become better at tracking down and destroying tumor cells. CAR T cells are made by extracting thousands of a patient’s T cells, sending them to a lab where they’re outfitted with genes and proteins that improve their cancer-fighting prowess, and … Read more
Business consultant and former scientist Jordan Kraft didn’t always have the confident presence she has today. The 29-year-old was once a shy child who hated being in front of people. With encouragement from her parents, young Jordan started performing in plays – first as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz – and slowly … Read more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has signed off on a new targeted treatment for some patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an often aggressive disease and the most common adult acute leukemia. The FDA approved the drug Idhifa (enasidenib) specifically for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory AML who have … Read more
When Linda Solomon, a trained medical technologist, saw the results of her routine complete blood count in 2009, she knew it wasn’t good news. Solomon, then 61, was diagnosed with stage III multiple myeloma – and given three years to survive. Several rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and eight years later, Solomon is … Read more