What are PD-1 and PD-L1? PD-L1 is a protein on the surface of some cancer cells that interacts with the PD-1 protein on T cells of the immune system to thwart an immune attack on the cancer. It’s one of the tools that cancer cells use to escape an attack by the immune system and … Read more
The more widely cancer has spread from the site where it is first diagnosed, the more difficult it becomes to treat. Cancer is labeled stage IV when it is found not only in its original location, but also in distant tissues and organs. There are several staging systems used by pathologists and cancer specialists to … Read more
Circadian rhythms describe the roughly 24-hour cycle that many of our life-sustaining processes operate on. In humans, as in all animals, circadian rhythms regulate hundreds of activities, from sleep patterns to body temperature to digestion. Life in industrialized societies can play havoc with natural circadian cycles, which are most strongly influenced by changes in light … Read more
Breast cancer research makes possible the development of new therapies for breast cancer. Through clinical trials and work in research labs, including those at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, treatments and drugs are explored — and if successful, are later able to be offered to patients who need them. Breast cancer today is seen as not one, … Read more
If you carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, you may be at an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers — but it’s important to understand that cancer genetics are complex and other factors influence risk as well. Depending on certain factors like family history, it may be advisable to seek proper genetic counseling … Read more
Experts from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and elsewhere have contributed to turning discoveries about the immune system into immunotherapies for cancer. Over the past decade, immunotherapy has fundamentally changed the way cancer is treated in many patients. Still Swimming with Sharks After Inflammatory Breast Cancer As a veteran scuba diver who has donned her wetsuit around … Read more
One doctor had initially forecast that Acra Samuels had no more than six months to live. Targeted treatment through Dana-Farber has almost certainly extended her life significantly.
A growing arsenal of new drugs that unleash the body’s immune system against tumors has captured the cancer treatment spotlight.
A common question, answered.
Radioimmunotherapy is a combination of radiation therapy and immunotherapy.
How does cancer start? In general, how is it treated? Here’s the basics of what you need to know.
Researchers have established some of the main factors that can increase or decrease your overall cancer risk.
Drug resistance is one of the major obstacles to successful cancer treatment — so scientists are looking at ways to overcome this obstacle.
Gene therapy is a way of treating or preventing disease by altering the genetic instructions within an individual’s cells.
Researchers are confident that the potential of checkpoint inhibitors has only begun to be tapped.
Immunotherapy can be dramatically successful for people with limited options — so scientists are working on expanding the benefits to other patients.
Monoclonal antibody therapy is a kind of immunotherapy that empowers the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.
So far, CDK4/6 inhibitors have been shown to be most effective in treating advanced estrogen-receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.
Immunotherapy is a kind of treatment that has had stunning results in some patients with cancers like melanoma, lymphoma, and kidney cancer. Immunotherapy drugs empower the body’s immune system by enabling the body to fight cancer — an approach that can slow or halt cancer in certain patients. In our latest podcast series, The Science … Read more
Precision medicine and immunotherapy are changing the landscape of cancer treatment. The aim of precision medicine, sometimes called personalized medicine, is to match treatments to individual patients taking into account their genetic makeup, medical history, test results, and other distinctive characteristics. Unlike precision medicine, immunotherapy is a particular form of treatment, aimed at manipulating the patient’s … Read more