Cancer research often focuses on gene mutations in the parts of the human genome that produce cellular machinery called proteins. But the rest of the genome — sometimes called the “dark genome” — can also play a role. Dana-Farber researcher William Freed-Pastor, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist in the Dana-Farber Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology and Hale … Read more
A burgeoning type of “omics” called immunopeptidomics is providing researchers with a powerful approach to discovering new ways to train a person’s immune system to fight cancer. In cancer research, the approach is being used to take an inventory of every flag on the surface of a cancer cell and determine what it is, if … Read more
Cold plunges, the act of immersing the body in cold water for therapeutic benefit, have been used for centuries — from vinterbading in Scandinavia (swimming in cold water during winter months) to misogi in Japan (a Shinto practice of purifying the body under a cold or icy waterfall) to ice baths in the United States … Read more
Clinical trials assess the safety and efficacy of new cancer drugs or drug combinations. The data and learnings these studies collect help regulators determine if the treatments should be approved and made broadly available to patients. Clinical researchers conduct clinical trials at cancer institutes, medical centers, clinics, and hospitals worldwide, all under strict guidelines. Many … Read more
Advances in cancer treatments depend on clinical trials of new drugs and other therapies. Nearly all cancer drugs in use today were tested in clinical trials. But in the United States, only 3 percent of cancer patients participate in these studies. Part of the reason is that there are many myths and misunderstandings that can keep patients … Read more
The first time Jackie Dunn tracked her husband Mike’s numbers, he was a high school basketball star and she was the team statistician. More than 40 years later, she was back at it — this time with far more on the line than a ballgame. The Dunns had temporarily relocated in the summer of 2024 … Read more
Medical advances tend to unfold slowly over many years, fueled by successive clinical studies that build upon each other and together provide the evidence needed to change patient care. A key illustration of this point comes from a recent phase 3 clinical trial, published last October in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), which … Read more
Many animals, including house pets, produce their own vitamin C. Early human ancestors did too. But they lost the ability about 60 million years ago, trading the health benefits of vitamin C production for the ability to produce more energy. Yet vitamin C is still an essential nutrient for humans. Without it, humans develop scurvy, … Read more
While planning her annual breast cancer fundraiser in Hull, Mass., Ellie Destito’s friends learned some surprising news. For the first time, their friend revealed that she was living with breast cancer herself. “They had no idea,” recalls Destito, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2008. Through the years, she was treated with … Read more
When Pedro Vianna, MD, was 5 years old, his mother took him to the pediatrician in their home country of Brazil. A lymph node on the left side of his neck had been swollen for weeks. While the pediatrician reassured his family that it was likely a reactive viral infection, Vianna’s mother, a hematologist, had … Read more
After her breast cancer surgery, Tia struggled with mobility in her left shoulder. It felt as though the joint was frozen, and she could feel some swelling in her chest. After several dead ends, she learned that this feeling may be caused by early-stage lymphedema. This condition is a common side effect of breast cancer … Read more
Kirsten Dahl knows plenty about targets, so when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of HER2+ breast cancer, she devised her own unique brand of targeted cancer therapy. In addition to heeding the advice of her medical team, Dahl focused on the one thing she most missed to help her get through nearly two … Read more
The American Cancer Society 2025 Facts and Figures report contained alarming information about cancer rates in young women. Women under 50 are getting cancer more frequently than men of the same age. In 2022, for every young man who got cancer, about 1.5 young women did. Now that number is closer to 1.8. The cause … Read more
The human genome is a sequence of Ts, Gs, Cs, and As that is about 3 billion letters long. And, says Bradley Bernstein, MD, PhD, chair of Dana-Farber’s Department of Cancer Biology, “there’s no dictionary or guide for reading it.” Bernstein is trying to make such a resource. The efforts so far, carried out by … Read more
Dana-Farber’s Older Adult Gastrointestinal Cancer Program specializes in treating patients who are 65 and older and have gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal cancer, esophageal and gastric cancer, liver cancer, neuroendocrine and pancreatic cancer. “Older adults are richly complex and multidimensional,” says gastrointestinal and geriatric oncologist Nadine McCleary, MD, MPH, who leads the program. “They deserve … Read more
In March 2016, two months before joining Dana-Farber, Sara Menendez, LAT, ATC, attended LYNKED IN, an annual one-day conference hosted by Dana-Farber’s Lynch Syndrome Center. The event gave her an opportunity to meet colleagues and learn about treatment advances, screening guidelines, and prevention efforts for Lynch syndrome, an inherited and often underdiagnosed condition that increases … Read more
In December 2023, a space opened in a clinical trial at Dana-Farber of a novel targeted drug. Rosemary Conway, 68, who had stage IV lung cancer, was eager to fill it. She had been waiting nearly six years for a trial of a medicine that would target a specific genetic mutation driving the growth of … Read more
In recent decades, rates of some cancers, such as colorectal cancer, have been rising in young adults under the age of 50. One possible explanation for this rise is a parallel rise in obesity rates and changes in diet, activity levels and lifestyle. However, says Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, director of Dana-Farber’s Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer … Read more
Influenza viruses, generally referred to as the flu, are present year-round in the United States, but are most common during the fall and winter months. The best way to protect yourself, and those around you, is to receive a yearly flu vaccine. Should cancer patients get the flu shot? Yes. Most cancer patients should get … Read more
People with Lynch syndrome have an elevated risk of developing colon cancer and several other cancers. For example, someone without the inherited condition has about a 5% chance of developing colon cancer. But for someone with Lynch syndrome, it could be anywhere from 22% to 74%. What if there were a way to reduce the … Read more