Self-care — the practice of allotting time to take care of yourself and keep up with your own needs — is an important way of keeping the mind and body healthy. It is important for patients with lung cancer to practice self-care, especially during COVID-19. Here, Susanne Welsh Lobacki, LICSW, a clinical social worker at … Read more
Medically reviewed by Michael Cheng, MD A report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), found that in 2010, air pollution was responsible for 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide. The findings were so striking that they prompted the agency, a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), to classify outdoor air pollution … Read more
Perhaps the biggest challenge in precision cancer therapy is tumors’ nasty habit of rebounding after an initial attack with targeted drugs has shrunk them almost out of existence. Instead of vanishing completely, curing the patient, the tumors leave behind a small cadre of cells that slumber in a dormant state, only to return in a … Read more
Medically reviewed by Geoffrey Shapiro, MD, PhD, and Christopher French, MD Although it is one of the most aggressive solid tumors in humans, NUT carcinoma responds better to treatment in some patients than others. Due to its rarity, specific statistics on incidence and prevalence are limited; it is estimated that NUT carcinoma is diagnosed in … Read more
Medically reviewed by Pasi A Jänne, MD, PhD Imagine inserting a key to shut off an engine only to find that it no longer fits — that the configuration of the lock has been changed without notice. Scientists developing targeted therapies to treat cancer often face a similar conundrum. Targeted therapies derive their effectiveness from … Read more
Women who are at high risk for lung cancer based on smoking history are less likely than men to have discussions with their doctors about potentially life-saving early detection screening, a new study has found. In a 2017 survey, women were 32% less likely to report having a lung cancer screening discussion with a provider … Read more
Here’s what you should know about what to look out for.
A cough can potentially be a symptom of a health concern, but in the overwhelming majority of cases that include a cough, the cause is unrelated to cancer.
“It has been the holy grail of oncology to develop potentially curative treatments for advanced common solid tumors, and it may now be on our doorstep for at least some patients,” says Bruce Johnson, MD, a thoracic oncologist and chief clinical research officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Small cell lung cancer is the most aggressive type of lung cancer. Unlike its far more common counterpart, non-small cell lung cancer, treatment with immunotherapy drugs hasn’t yet been approved for small cell lung cancer, but some early findings in clinical trials suggest this type of treatment may have potential. Small cell lung cancer gets … Read more
Nausea and cancer are often related in that nausea can be a side effect of treatment, but can nausea be a symptom of cancer itself? Is nausea a sign of colon cancer or other cancers? If there is a tumor that lives in the colon, esophagus, stomach, or somewhere else in the bowel, it can … Read more
The first time a Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) cyclist rode in her honor, a weakened Susan Cardinal sent them a good-luck text as she prepared for surgery. Just one year later, this Dana-Farber patient plans to be waiting excitedly at the Provincetown finish when the PMC team riding for her finishes its two-day journey on Aug. … Read more
Although the mortality rate for lung cancer is declining, this disease is still the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. It also remains the leading cause of cancer death in both sexes. This World Lung Cancer Day, learn about the signs, symptoms, and risk factors for lung … Read more
By Allison DiBiaso, LICSW A cancer diagnosis can fundamentally alter a person’s life, and it can often add an unexpected burden: stigma. Lung cancer patients are some of the people who experience this stigma most, as others may look at or treat them differently because of their diagnosis. In some cases, the patients themselves may … Read more
Every time tobacco is inhaled, it creates conditions in the body almost ideally suited to the formation of cancer. So how do experts explain lung cancer in non-smokers – and what are the significant risk factors for lung cancer other than smoking?
In November, four states – California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Maine – passed measures legalizing marijuana for recreational use, bringing the total number of states with legal cannabis to eight, plus the District of Columbia. The vote in Maine was quite close and is expected to be challenged by opponents, but as of now, 26 states … Read more
Tobacco smoke is the number one risk factor for lung cancer – and every time it is inhaled, it deals a double blow to lung cells, creating conditions almost ideally suited to the formation of cancer. Does tar in cigarettes cause cancer? Chemicals such as tar and formaldehyde within tobacco smoke penetrate the cells and … Read more
Nurses at Dana-Farber are used to hearing patients gush about their children and grandchildren during chemotherapy treatments, but Stephanie Ann Benoit, RN, still smiles when recalling how Nancy Raisman sang the praises of her granddaughter. “Aly is going to be in the Olympics,” the lung cancer patient would say proudly, a prediction that came true … Read more
Smoking cigarettes contributes to 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women and 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men, and it is estimated to have caused more than 130,000 deaths from the disease between 2005 and 2010. But smoking damage does not stop with lung cancer: the habit can cause or contribute to … Read more
By Joann Totten As a non-smoker, I never imagined I would be diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, let alone at age 50. But that’s what happened on Aug. 5, 2015, just six weeks after I started experiencing a non-productive cough. The doctors felt certain it was bronchitis, but as a radiation therapist for more … Read more