Adult

Three Recent Dana-Farber Research Studies to Know About  

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Every year, physician researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reveal new treatments, protocols, and outcomes that advance cancer research. At one of this year’s biggest cancer research conferences, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Berlin, Germany, Dana-Farber researchers presented 22 studies in breast, lung, and bladder cancer.  Here are three of the most exciting advancements — several nearing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval — shared by our experts nearly 4,000 miles across the world.  An oral therapy for advanced breast cancer   Erica Mayer, MD, MPH, director … Read more

Forcing Cancer to Grow Up: Dana-Farber Scientists Reprogram Tumors to Behave Normally  

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Cancer can make its way through the body by shapeshifting through even the narrowest places, like a skilled driver navigating traffic. It has a sly way of adapting to its environment by finding detours around every blockade clinicians place in its path.   A study from the lab of Nilay Sethi, MD, PhD, in Dana-Farber’s Center … Read more

Three Ways Research Could Improve Pancreatic Cancer Treatment 

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Pancreatic cancer has long been difficult to detect and treat. Dana-Farber experts in the  Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, however, are working to change that with research efforts in three key areas that are poised to advance early detection, early intervention, and treatment of the disease.   They presented these topics for discussion with … Read more

Helping Older Adults with Cancer

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Tammy Hshieh, MD, MPH, is the lead geriatrician for geriatric oncology at Dana-Farber, working with the programs for Older Adults with Hematologic Malignancy, Older Adults with Breast Cancer, and Older Adults with Gastrointestinal Cancers. As a physician-scientist, her research focuses on promoting healthier aging and improving cognition and function as well as understanding and preventing … Read more

Teacher Returns to Education After a Whipple Procedure 

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Marsha Olsen’s grandmother always used to say, “You have one body, take good care of it.”  And for most of her life, Olsen has spread that message as a middle school physical education and health teacher instilling healthy habits in her students.   “I wanted all my students to have a positive experience in physical education, … Read more

Dana-Farber Research Uncovers Potential Targeted Therapy for Endometrial Cancer 

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Jessica St. Laurent, MD, was sure something had gone wrong. The results of an experiment she’d run showed that the cancer cells she was studying had abnormally high levels of a specific collection of proteins of interest to her team.  “I remember seeing the gradient and thinking, This can’t be right,” says St. Laurent, who … Read more

Targeted Therapy Offers Hope for Metastatic Cervical Cancer

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When Donna McDaniel came to Dana-Farber with what she thought was lung cancer in 2024, she could barely walk and struggled to breathe. She’d been treated elsewhere, but the drugs had seemingly stopped working. Her quality of life was suffering, and she couldn’t keep up with her busy catering job at Blue Cross Blue Shield.  … Read more

Love Comes Full Circle for Patient With Ovarian Cancer

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Shelly Sepulveda grew up in Borger, Texas, a Panhandle town with a population of fewer than 10,000 people. A strong sense of connectedness bound the community together, creating long-lasting friendships and a tight-knit feel. When Sepulveda and her wife, Tami, relocated to Medway, Massachusetts, to continue their nursing careers, they found that familiar sense of … Read more

What is the Difference Between Gene Therapy and Immunotherapy?

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Gene therapy and immunotherapy are both types of treatment for cancer and other diseases. They represent different approaches to disease therapy, though there is some overlap.  What is gene therapy?  Gene therapy is a way of treating or preventing disease by altering the genetic instructions within an individual’s cells. Most diseases aren’t caused by a … Read more

CAR T-Cell Therapy Delivers a Revelatory Experience for Myeloma Patient 

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Linda Lane was still fatigued months after having COVID-19 in January of 2021.   “I told my doctor that I had not been this tired since I had a newborn in the house,” says Lane, now 57 and living on Cape Cod. “That got her attention.”  Her bloodwork came back with abnormal results. By May, the … Read more

Stem Cell Transplant Recipient Forms Powerful Bond with Doctor and Donor  

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“The world needs more Dr. Soiffers – and more Nicoles.”  Such is the wisdom of Judy Mangione, 80, who credits these two individuals for the fulfilling life she is enjoying with her husband, Bob, and their combined six children and 10 grandchildren.  Robert Soiffer, MD, treated Mangione with the January 2022 stem cell transplant that … Read more

Aggressive Prostate Cancer: What’s the Latest in Treatment Advances? 

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New approaches to treatment are improving outcomes for patients with aggressive prostate cancer, which is prostate cancer that has spread or is at higher risk of spreading. In addition, new tests are helping guide treatment choices as more treatment options become available.  Therapies used to treat aggressive prostate cancer include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and newer … Read more

Metastatic Cervical Cancer Survivor Thrives Under Personalized Care 

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Like many people, Karen Lagasse has never been a big fan of the dentist. But she’ll always be thankful for a 2013 tooth extraction for paving the way to a life-saving discovery.  Noticing Lagasse’s elevated blood pressure, her dentist asked when she had last visited the doctor. Lagasse admitted it had been a few years, … Read more

Dana-Farber Researchers Find Less Treatment May be More in Mantle Cell Lymphoma 

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For a long time, the standard treatment for younger patients with newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma involved intensive chemotherapy, called induction therapy, followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT, where the patient’s own stem cells are used), followed by maintenance therapy to help keep the cancer from coming back.   Based on recent clinical research involving … Read more

Crafting an Inspiring Survivorship From Stage IV Colorectal Cancer 

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When Clelia Lavoie, then 49, began experiencing abdominal pain in 2019, she had a feeling it was something serious despite dismissals from her doctor. Lavoie’s intuition was right. A colonoscopy led to a diagnosis of stage IV colorectal cancer that had metastasized to her thyroid, back, and liver. She needed surgery to remove part of … Read more

How a Life-Changing Trial is Transforming the Lives of Metastatic HER2+ Breast Cancer Patients

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As a 20-year mammographer, 72-year-old Catherine Mulqueen often encountered patients at their most vulnerable. And she was always proactive about her own healthcare, especially because her cystic breasts made potentially worrisome lumps hard to detect. Mulqueen stayed current on mammograms until 2010 when her husband, Michael, became gravely ill with renal cell carcinoma. When she … Read more

From 9/11 to Breast and Colorectal Cancer to the PMC: A Survivor’s Story 

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Editor’s Note: Kathy Ball-Toncic completed her 162-mile PMC ride on Aug. 2-3. “I cried many tears of joy,” she said afterwards. “A particular highlight was my oncologist Dr. Huffman coming out to cheer me on. That was a great surprise!”  Nearly 1,300 cyclists will be riding in their first Pan-Mass Challenge® (PMC) this weekend, each … Read more

TILs: What Are They and How Are They Used in Cancer Treatment?

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What is TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy? Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, or TIL, therapy uses a patient’s own immune system T cells to fight cancer. The therapy involves removing T cells from a piece of the patient’s tumor – where the T cells have congregated after being alerted to the cancer – growing them outside the body, then … Read more