Carcinomas and sarcomas are different types of cancer. Carcinomas are much more common than sarcomas, but the biggest difference between them is where they occur in the body. Treatment for carcinomas and sarcomas is geared to the specific type of cancer a patient has, its stage or extent, aggressiveness, and other health factors. Patients should … Read more
Karl Helfrich, PhD, has been a cyclist for 40 years. When he was diagnosed with a slow-growing brain tumor, he thought that might be the end of his hobby. Instead, he was only off the bike for three weeks, and continued to ride the roads near his home in Falmouth, Mass. while undergoing radiation and … Read more
At work on the afternoon of December 27, 2018, Chris Barnett felt his eyes lock momentarily onto the wall. Thinking he was just tired, he stood up to go get a sandwich. The next thing he knew, he couldn’t move and fell straight to the floor, and felt frozen in his own body, “like somebody pulled the … Read more
Over the last two decades, researchers have discovered thousands of genetic mutations in cancer. But understanding how they affect the growth and spread of tumors in the body remains challenging because each patient’s tumor can have many different mutations. Now, scientists have used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system to build cell models of melanoma “from scratch,” … Read more
When John Ferris was first diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in early 2017, he was told he had six to nine months to live. Later, while undergoing treatment that appeared to be halting his cancer, he received an amended diagnosis. “Cancer is not going to kill you, but your drinking could,” his oncologist told Ferris. “We … Read more
Cancer screening refers to the process of looking for cancer in a patient without symptoms, with the goal of finding cancers while they are still small and localized, and therefore more likely to be cured. However, cancer screening recommendations are not the same for everyone; healthcare access and a person’s experience in the healthcare system … Read more
One of the rarest of rare cancers, cardiac angiosarcoma is a tumor of the heart that has gained some notoriety because it caused the death of fashion designer Virgil Abloh in 2021 at the age of only 41. Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear and the founder of his own brand, Off-White, lived … Read more
Treating advanced prostate cancer typically involves surgery — to reduce levels of testosterone, which fuels the growth of tumors — or giving drugs that blockade the androgen receptor (AR), which responds to testosterone by stimulating cancer-growth genes. While these measures can keep the disease at bay initially, resistance almost always occurs as the androgen receptor … Read more
Patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) who did not respond to initial treatment or relapsed within a year may now receive the CAR T-cell product axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) as a second-line therapy, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on results of a recent clinical trial. Until now, the standard of … Read more
As an economist specializing in statistical analysis, Dan Rosenbaum has done everything from help the federal government use more evidence in its decision-making to assist several National Basketball Association (NBA) teams in finding and signing the best players. Research and number-crunching are his expertise, so when Rosenbaum learned he needed a life-saving stem cell transplant … Read more
If a medical professional wants to rule out cancer as a possibility, or suspects cancer may be the root cause of a medical issue, they will order one or more tests. Below are some examples of tests that may be given to either confirm a cancer diagnosis or rule one out. Tests can cause feelings … Read more
For as long as researchers have known about disparities in cancer treatment, they’ve sought to explain them. Do some patients receive different care than others because of race, age, wealth, or gender? Or does the region where they receive treatment matter most? Only by answering questions like these can researchers know where to focus their … Read more
An annual physical or mammogram can help detect lumps or abnormalities in the breast, but these exams cannot tell whether a growth is cancerous or noncancerous. If a breast lump or abnormality is found in your breast, your doctor may advise you to have a breast biopsy. A stereotactic breast biopsy is a kind of … Read more
At 28 years old, Dana-Farber bioinformatics analyst Carino Gurjao is already making a splash in the field of colorectal cancer research. He is coming off the back of a big year: The Paris-born researcher was named to Forbes Healthcare’s 2022 30 Under 30 list for his role in the Giannakis Lab at Dana-Farber, which identified … Read more
Approximately one in three children in the United States lives in a low-income home. For childhood cancer patients, living in a low-income home can have a significant impact: Poverty and associated factors are linked to poorer outcomes, even at large academic medical centers like Dana-Farber, according to research by Kira Bona, MD, MPH, a pediatric … Read more
Many healthy people are concerned about potential risks from exposures to air and water pollution, household chemicals, pesticides, and substances in the workplace. And for cancer patients, it can raise even more anxiety, with people wondering whether something in their environment triggered their disease. However, links between environmental exposures and cancer have been difficult to … Read more
The connection between a researcher’s biography and area of study is not always obvious. A young scientist may discover an intellectual fascination with immunology, for example, despite not having known anyone with an immunological disorder. For Dana-Farber’s Narjust Duma, MD, however, research is not just a response to her life experiences. It’s a way to … Read more
At Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, your health and safety, along with the health and safety of our staff, are our top priorities. The Kraft Family Blood Donor Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital is continuing to accept blood and platelet donors in a safe and controlled environment. Can I donate blood … Read more
People with disabilities that affect their mobility often face special challenges when diagnosed with cancer. Beyond logistical matters such as getting to and from medical appointments, they may be diagnosed with more advanced, harder-to-treat cancer than non-disabled individuals, making them more likely to die of their disease, research suggests. While most previous studies of these … Read more
Valerie Stone, MD, MPH, was considering becoming an oncologist in the mid-1980s when something happened to shift her focus. People, including some very close to her, began developing a mysterious new disease. What they had was eventually identified as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. And as a member of two groups disproportionately impacted — … Read more