Surgery is an essential component in the management of patients with gynecologic cancers. Surgical procedures may be utilized to initially diagnose cancers of the uterus, cervix, ovary, vulva and vagina. In addition, many gynecologic cancers are primarily treated (and often cured) with surgery alone. Nearly all gynecologic surgeries fall into either one of two categories: … Read more
Endometriosis is a non-cancerous disorder that occurs when tissue lining the inside of the uterus, known as the endometrium, appears in other parts of the body. It usually is found in the lower abdomen or pelvis but can appear in virtually any organ or tissue. Endometrial cancer, by contrast, occurs when cells in the endometrium … Read more
Media reports on the effect of diet and physical activity on breast cancer risk can be head-spinning. One report may suggest that eating a particular food — broccoli, for example — can help prevent breast cancer. Another may conclude that a substance within that same food actually promotes the disease. How can you sort out … Read more
Like many forms of cancer, the risk of developing breast cancer increases with age: 30 percent of breast cancer patients in the United States are age 70 or older. For many older patients, the issues and challenges associated with the disease are quite different from those that arise in younger women. Older women are more … Read more
On the strength of the results of a major international clinical trial, there is now a new standard of care for patients with an advanced form of ovarian cancer who have responded to initial chemotherapy. The trial, dubbed SOLO-1, found that these patients – newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer that carries a mutation in the … Read more
Breast cancer research makes possible the development of new therapies for breast cancer. Through clinical trials and work in research labs, including those at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, treatments and drugs are explored — and if successful, are later able to be offered to patients who need them. Breast cancer today is seen as not one, … Read more
A new generation of drugs and drug combinations is changing the outlook for patients with endometrial cancer. The results of the first clinical trials of the new therapies were so promising that they’ve led researchers to launch follow-up trials to explore the potential for even better outcomes. The trials are geared to patients diagnosed with … Read more
Vaginal bleeding—also known as spotting—between periods is common among women who have not yet reached menopause. Most commonly, it is caused by hormonal imbalances, stress, and vaginal dryness. Vaginal bleeding in post-menopausal women can, in some cases, be an early sign of cancer and should always be investigated further. Spotting is the primary symptom of … Read more
Tests on living “organoids” created from patients’ ovarian cancer cells proved more accurate than DNA sequencing in predicting tumors’ sensitivity or resistance to chemotherapy drugs – and combining the two methods worked even better, say scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The investigators report in Cancer Discovery that ovarian cancer organoids – tiny, three-dimensional spheres of cells … Read more
Have you ever wanted to ice skate at Rockefeller Center? If so, you’re not alone. But what if balance and coordination escape you the moment you step on the ice? You may need the help of two-time breast cancer survivor Margaret Simonovich. Simonovich, a 76-year-old former professional figure skater originally from Scotland, was first bit … Read more
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women, and as a result, there is an almost endless stream of information about the disease on the Internet and beyond. One fact we know is that early detection of breast cancer can often make the disease easier to treat, and in some cases, easier to … Read more
In gynecologic cancers, immunotherapy is being used in all stages of treatment, and researchers are trying to enhance the effects of different immunotherapy approaches.
Whenever an advance against cancer is reported, it’s easy to imagine that it came about in an orderly and straightforward manner.
Before her vulvar cancer diagnosis, Ronda Cushman led an energetic life as a physical therapy assistant who exercised each morning. Chemotherapy treatment curtailed both passions, but now Cushman may have a new ally in regaining her strength – and caregivers a new way to monitor her health away from the hospital. This past spring, Cushman … Read more
By Mal Malme Each year during my annual checkup with my wonderful oncologist Panos A. Konstantinopoulos, MD, PhD, at the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber, I reflect back on how grateful I am that my ovarian cancer is in remission. And while I appreciate the warmth and clinical expertise that he … Read more
A lumpectomy “seed” technique is proving to be more comfortable and convenient for some patients with non-palpable breast cancers. Lumpectomies involve surgical removal of cancer in the breast with a rim of normal tissue. If the cancer has been detected by a mammogram or ultrasound and is not palpable — meaning, it cannot be felt — a … Read more
It’s never too early or too late to work toward being your healthiest you. That’s the motto of National Women’s Health Week, an initiative developed to help women of all ages take control of their health. Following proper cancer screenings is an important part of maintaining health and well-being – and reducing your risk of … Read more
Not only are more effective drugs for breast cancer coming to the clinic, but oncologists are making important progress in matching breast cancer treatment to specific patients and the molecular characteristics of their tumors. It’s also becoming more feasible to rachet the intensity of treatment up or down depending on the patient’s risk status, and … Read more
Traditionally, the war on cancer has been waged from the outside in, with therapies such as surgery, radiation, and drugs entering the body from external sources. For more than 100 years, however, a notion has persisted that the most formidable tool against cancer may come from within: the immune system. The immune system is the … Read more
Triple-negative breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer where cancer cells do not contain estrogen receptors or progesterone receptors, and HER2 receptors are also absent or present at low levels. Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for roughly 15% of all breast cancer cases and can be somewhat more aggressive than hormone-positive or HER2-positive breast cancer. Who is most at risk for … Read more