Cancer therapy is increasingly aimed at the fundamental abnormalities within cancer cells – the genes and proteins that normally keep cell division under control, but are damaged or faulty in tumor cells. To understand which genes are abnormal, where they’re located within the genome, and how they affect cell growth, doctors and scientists use a … Read more
CRISPR, a powerful new tool for editing the DNA instruction manual in animals and humans, is proving a boon to cancer research. Scientists say CRISPR has dramatically accelerated the process of making animal models of cancer and is speeding the search for new molecular targets for cancer drugs. The technique is also being used in … Read more
Although she had been fully prepped on what to expect, Barbara Losordo was a bit surprised at the ease and speed of her recovery from surgery for endometrial cancer. Discharged from the hospital the same day she had undergone the procedure, she needed no pain medication afterward. Within a week, she was driving. Within a month, … Read more
Medically reviewed by Mehra Golshan, MD, MBA and Yoon Sun Chun, MD Some women choose to receive breast implants, for cosmetic reasons or breast reconstruction, following a mastectomy. But does this result in a heightened chance of developing cancer? Fact: Women with breast implants have an increased, but still extremely low, risk of developing anaplastic … Read more
By Brittany Collins “Men don’t get breast cancer,” a practitioner told my father, who had concerning symptoms and a sister who carries a BRCA-2 mutation. “You shouldn’t worry.” This was how my family’s cancer journey began. Years prior, my paternal grandmother passed away from the disease, and my aunt had recently completed treatments for her … Read more
For women who inherit a breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene like mutant BRCA-1 or BRCA-2, the risk of ovarian and tubal cancers begins to rise significantly at age 40 to 45. Women at this age — and younger — are often advised to have their ovaries and tubes removed as a risk-reducing strategy for … 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
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which makes up about 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancers, describes breast cancer cells that do not have estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors. In a recent Facebook Live webchat, Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, Director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer in the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s … Read more
Tracy Antonelli was four when she was diagnosed with thalassemia, a rare blood disorder that occurs often enough in Mediterranean countries like Italy that an old adage, uttered only partially in jest, warns Italian-Americans against marrying other Italian-Americans. In 2002, a grown-up Antonelli wed Patrick Mooty, whose background is mostly Irish. Their three daughters – … Read more
Studies show that men are often less likely than women to keep up with regular doctor’s visits, or be honest about their symptoms, which may contribute to worse health outcomes. Learn More: Make an Appointment at Dana-Farber What is Genetic Testing? Being vigilant about health care screenings is one of the best things you can … Read more
In most cases, the diagnosis of a brain tumor can’t be traced to a particular cause or risk factor. As with many forms of cancer, brain tumor risk increases with age – although tumors can develop in younger people – and men have a somewhat greater risk than women. About five percent of brain tumors … Read more
A new online assessment tool developed at Dana-Farber can help rapidly identify people who should undergo genetic testing for Lynch syndrome, an inherited disorder that greatly increases the lifetime risk of colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, stomach, and other cancers. An estimated 1 in 279 individuals – nearly a million people in the United States – carry … Read more
Dany Hilaire, PhD, RN, will never forget the day she decided to become a nurse. It was one of the saddest of her life. Her father had just died, and his nurses now turned their attention to Hilaire, her mother, and her siblings. “I remember one of them giving me the tightest hug and telling … Read more
A healthy, balanced diet is an important part of cancer treatment and survivorship. The right foods can promote strength and overall wellness in patients, as well as lower cancer risk. And adopting certain eating habits can also help combat common side effects of treatment, including nausea and weight loss. Here are some nutrition tips for … Read more
绝大多数癌症没有明显的遗传关联，但是对于确诊患癌或者有明显家族患癌史的人群而言，基因检测往往可以追溯癌症的诱因或者个人患癌（或其他癌症）的可能性。基因检测出的信息在确定癌症的治疗方案、高危人群如何降低风险方面起到至关重要的作用。 我们采访了丹娜—法伯癌症遗传学和预防学中心（Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention）的遗传学咨询副主任Jill Stopfer女士（Jill Stopfer, MS, LGC），就您最关心的基因检测评估癌症风险方面的问题作出详细解读。 如果我患癌（或曾经患癌），对遗传风险进行基因检测还重要吗？ 对于有患癌史（近期或早年确诊过）的人群而言，基因检测可以帮助医生更好地了解癌症的生物学原理，并确定最佳的治疗方案。 例如，患乳腺癌的个人可能携带相关的易感基因。若基因检测显示他们携带与乳腺癌相关的基因突变，如：BRCA1或BRCA2突变，那么医生可能会推荐他们选择不同的治疗方案或以后的筛查和预防措施，这与不携带该基因突变人群的治疗方案有所不同。 此外，如果个人有癌症的遗传风险，那么他（她）的其他家人或许也携带基因突变，或同样需要检测。对于基因检测呈阳性的人群来说，他们可以探索潜在的预防措施，或者早早对癌症开始筛查。 丹娜—法伯癌症遗传学和预防学中心对一系列症状和基因展开测试，包括但不限于： 遗传性乳腺癌和（或）卵巢癌基因 李-佛美尼症候群（Li-Fraumeni Syndrome） 林奇综合征（Lynch Syndrome）或遗传性非息肉病性结直肠癌基因（Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer genes） 家族性腺瘤性息肉（Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)）以及衰减型家族性腺瘤性息肉基因（Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis genes） 家族性胰腺癌基因（Familial Pancreatic Cancer genes） 点击此处查看完整列表。 如果我没有个人癌症病史，医生何时应建议我做针对遗传风险的基因检测？ 对于有家族患癌史且有遗传易感性的人群而言，基因检测或成为一个可选方案。显著家族病史的特征包括： 一位家族成员检测出遗传突变阳性 家族中若干成员患同种癌症。例如：若三位近亲均患结肠癌，那么医学上呈现可能的相关性 家族中有一人或多人患癌的年龄早于一般确诊该癌症病种的年龄 家族中有一人或多人确诊多种不同类型的癌症，这表示某种易感性 上述列表仅罗列了部分情况。家族成员较少或对家族史了解有限的人群也可能携带风险基因。丹娜—法伯的遗传学咨询专家可帮您判断基因检测之于您的使用情况。 了解更多信息：《基因检测咨询的实用信息》 如果我检测到遗传癌症突变呈阳性，该怎么办？ 如果您的某种遗传癌症突变结果呈阳性，那么遗传学咨询专家能够帮您梳理相关的风险，根据您个体的遗传学信息，这些致病风险或大或小。 您可以参考一下步骤，采取相关措施： 展开早筛：早筛广泛适用于乳腺癌（breast cancer）和结肠癌（colon cancer）。目前，学界正在针对高风险的前列腺癌（prostate cancer）人群展开筛查方法的开发。早期的评估适用于胰腺癌（pancreatic cancer）筛查。 考虑预防措施：预防措施侧重于健康，如：营养学和运动，但在某些情况下，医生也会采取医学或外科介入。 … Read more
The vast majority of cancers do not have a strong hereditary link, but for people who have been diagnosed with cancer or have a significant family history of the disease, genetic testing can often shed light on the cause of the disease or an individual’s likelihood of developing it or other cancers. This information can … Read more
While not all cancers can be prevented, there are a number of strategies and techniques to help reduce cancer risk, even for those with inherited cancer genes. It’s important to start implementing healthful habits early in life, and as a parent, to educate kids about the importance of cancer prevention. However, it can be difficult … Read more
Following surgery and/or radiation for early stage breast cancer, chemotherapy is sometimes given to eliminate remaining cancer cells that could cause trouble later. Traditionally, women have been more likely to undergo follow-up chemotherapy if clinical and pathological factors suggested a significant risk of recurrence, such as a larger tumor, higher stage and pathological grade of … Read more
A diagnosis of cancer always comes as a shock, and the patient naturally asks the physician, why did this happen? Is it something I did or didn’t do, or did I inherit it, or were chemicals in the environment to blame? “Why patients develop cancers is not well known,” explains Irene Ghobrial, MD, of Dana-Farber. … Read more
This post originally appeared on Cancer Research Catalyst, the official blog of the American Association for Cancer Research. It was originally published Jan. 10, 2017. By Srivani Ravoori, PhD As we step into 2017, a big question looming in the minds of all stakeholders in the cancer research arena is: What is the future of … Read more