Cancer treatment has evolved dramatically in the first quarter of this century, but there is still much more to do to improve the lives of people with cancer. At Dana-Farber, research continues in the clinic and in the lab in efforts to continue to bring advancements in treatment and prevention for patients. That research has resulted in exciting … Read more
There are over 100 precision medicines approved for the treatment of cancer. These therapies work to shut down the cancer-driving effects of specific mutations. Matching a patient to a medicine — the practice of precision oncology — is complex and advancing rapidly. However, there is no easy, standardized way for oncologists to stay informed of advances. “The clinicians we engaged with said that catching up with FDA approvals is far … Read more
If you look down at your stomach, glide your eyes diagonally from your belly button to the lower right side of your abdomen: that’s your appendix. It is a finger-shaped organ that stems from your colon. With two primary functions — supporting the immune system and potentially serving as a safe house for good bacteria, as theorized from some– the appendix is a small, but mighty organ that is important to take note of, especially given the recent … Read more
Like many teenagers with cancer, Declan Cassidy, 16, has endured having his life interrupted by surgery, chemotherapy infusions, and other treatments. In his case, however, the greatest ongoing challenge goes beyond the cancer itself. Declan is legally blind, the result of an optic pathway glioma — a slow-growing brain tumor that forms in and around the optic nerves connecting the eye to the brain. … Read more
The call from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) seemed to come from out of nowhere, but it bore some hopeful news: Dana-Farber senior project manager Alexandria Monteiro’s stem cells were a match for a stranger with leukemia who needed a stem cell transplant. “I don’t remember signing up,” Monteiro admits, “but based on who I know myself to be,” she continues, “it does sound like something I would have done.” … Read more
Feeling constipated? You may not be getting enough fiber in your diet. Fiber-rich diets are a key component to preventing and reducing constipation and can help you maintain a healthy gut. Dietary fiber offers many health benefits from reducing chronic diseases like diabetes to lowering your risk of some types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer. Fiber is an undigested nutrient that passes through the body when you consume fruits, vegetables, … Read more
Devon Choi had a great job, a terrific group of friends, and had just run the Boston Marathon – the first of six 26.2-mile races he hoped to complete in major cities around the world. So, when the East Boston resident felt a lump on his left testicle while showering in May 2023, he shrugged it off. Choi was … Read more
As we close out the first quarter of the twenty-first century, it isn’t hard to notice how much the world has changed since the year 2000. Smartphones. Social media. Artificial intelligence. But how much has cancer care changed? A lot. Possibly more than you think. Treatment for many cancers now include many options beyond chemotherapy, … Read more
On July 20, 2009, Michele Milso was leaving the gym when she received a call from her radiologist. That call changed her life. “He told me I have breast cancer,” says Milso, who lives in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. “It was the last thing I thought I’d hear.” To maintain a healthy lifestyle, Milso ate well, exercised … Read more
Whether it may be genetic or environmental, there are many factors that can lead to cancer. One of these factors could be infections, which can be caused by bacteria, fungi, and/or viruses. Viruses insert themselves inside our bodies and alter our otherwise functioning genes, making us sick. Viruses can only thrive when they infect a … Read more
In February 2024, while being treated for pneumonia, doctors noticed that Rebecca Santorelli’s spleen was enlarged. “No one was concerned at first,” recalls Santorelli, 61, who lives outside of Albany, New York. Doctors estimate spleen size with fingerbreadths — or approximate widths of a finger — below the rib cage, with normal being about zero. … Read more
Mammograms are one of the best tools you can use to stay on top of your breast health. A mammogram is one of the most effective tests for catching breast cancer early. A mammogram is performed with an X-ray machine that compresses the breast to take an image. This machine can be used for two … Read more
In 2014, Dana-Farber pediatric oncologist Brian Crompton, MD, discovered that a gene called STAG2 is mutated in about 15 percent of patients with Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer that largely occurs in children and adolescents. Now, that molecular insight could hold the keys to advancing treatment for the disease. New research led by senior authors Crompton and pediatric oncologist Katherine Janeway, MD, Dana-Farber Pediatric Oncology Section Chief and Chair of the Children’s … Read more
Big ideas are all around us. They pop into our heads when we least expect it and consume our minds until we take steps to make them happen. That’s how research begins, continues, and evolves. At Dana-Farber, scientists are attacking cancer at every level. Researchers go through a continuous cycle of experimentation to see the … Read more
The walk is a little different each day, sometimes a twisting, turning path through the various side streets of Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, and on other occasions more of a straight line down bustling thoroughfares. One thing, though, remains consistent: no matter which route Paris Prinsen, 21, takes from her apartment to classes at the … Read more
By Jennifer Peters On April 23, 2024, my life jumped onto a conveyor belt I never saw coming — one that would race me through numerous exam rooms, tests, and heartfelt conversations. The diagnosis? Triple-negative breast cancer. I’d never even heard of it. I thought breast cancer was all the same. Boy, was I wrong. But even in that first shocking moment, I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to do … Read more
What makes us humans lies in our genes. But even with all their power, they are remarkably vulnerable to errors. But these potentially harmful errors are an opportunity for humankind to study and treat, as it has been for Dana-Farber’s physician-scientist Srinivas Viswanathan, MD, PhD. “We have the ability to make an impact,” Viswanathan said. “There are so many unanswered questions in cancer biology still, especially in our understanding of rarer subtypes of kidney cancer.” One of these subtypes — called translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC) — occurs when a gene quietly moves, fuses with another gene, and … Read more
Every year, physician researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reveal new treatments, protocols, and outcomes that advance cancer research. At one of this year’s biggest cancer research conferences, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Berlin, Germany, Dana-Farber researchers presented 22 studies in breast, lung, and bladder cancer. Here are three of the most exciting advancements — several nearing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval — shared by our experts nearly 4,000 miles across the world. An oral therapy for advanced breast cancer Erica Mayer, MD, MPH, director … Read more
Cancer can make its way through the body by shapeshifting through even the narrowest places, like a skilled driver navigating traffic. It has a sly way of adapting to its environment by finding detours around every blockade clinicians place in its path. A study from the lab of Nilay Sethi, MD, PhD, in Dana-Farber’s Center … Read more
Pancreatic cancer has long been difficult to detect and treat, but that might be changing. Dana-Farber experts in the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research are focused on three key areas that are poised to shift the way people think about, treat, and detect pancreatic cancer. Research shows the effectiveness of RAS therapeutics for pancreatic cancer The introduction of medicines that target a … Read more