Medically reviewed by Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, MD, MPH Colorectal cancer forms in the tissues of the colon or rectum, which make up the large intestine. The colon and rectum are part of the body’s digestive system, which is made up of the esophagus, stomach, and the small and large intestines. The first six feet of … Read more
Crowdsourcing is an increasingly powerful approach for fueling innovation in many sectors but has not been routinely applied in academic medicine. Scientists at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center are exploring ways to harness this method for solutions to pressing clinical problems, such as the worldwide shortage of radiation oncologists. Their work has led to the development of … Read more
What is metastatic breast cancer? Metastatic breast cancer (also referred to as advanced stage or stage IV breast cancer) is breast cancer that has spread (or metastasized) from the breast and adjacent lymph nodes to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, bones, brain, or liver. Why does breast cancer spread? Breast cancer … Read more
It was a bumpy road for Anne Sandstrom at first: after dealing with a stage IIIc ovarian cancer diagnosis, she had two relapses in a three-year span. But finally, treatment worked, and Sandstrom has enjoyed 16 years in which her disease lay dormant — enough for her oncologist to declare her “graduated” in 2017. The … Read more
Wireless Bluetooth headphones have become popular gadgets — and now, there is a debate about whether they can cause cancer. However, at this point, there is not enough evidence to definitively say that wireless headphones are dangerous. Some scientists are arguing that these headphones could potentially lead increase cancer risk due to the fact they … Read more
A condition is considered precancerous if it consists of abnormal cells that have an increased risk of turning cancerous. In many cases, people with such conditions can take steps to reduce the chance that cancer will develop. Physicians may prescribe treatments to prevent the cancer or recommend monitoring the condition for signs that it is … Read more
In the summer of 2018, Kelli O’Hara was diagnosed with breast cancer—a difficult diagnosis for her to grapple with, since she lost her own grandmother to breast cancer when she was a child. But because of advancements in cancer research, as well as the care she received at the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s … Read more
What does remission mean? Cancer is said to be in remission when the signs and symptoms of the disease have decreased or resolved. If the cancer is a solid mass — such as a tumor in the lung or breast — remission means the mass has shrunk. If it is a hematologic (blood-related) cancer, … Read more
Interventional radiology offers a set of minimally invasive procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care for certain diseases, such as cancer. This subspecialty in interventional radiology is also known as interventional oncology. These procedures can be alternative options to open biopsies and surgeries, and are typically shorter, relatively less risky and associated with faster recovery. … Read more
The drive from Plymouth, Massachusetts, to Raleigh, North Carolina, is about 750 miles. If you’re up for the drive, Jenn Anderson notes, plan on spending a lot of time on I-95 and consider extending the trip with a stopover in Delaware. It’s a familiar route for Anderson, who was planning to move south with her … 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
In the context of a diagnosis of cancer, anemia can be caused by the cancer itself, chemotherapy treatments, or both.
A growing number of researchers are testing the potential role of natural killer cells—”NK cells”—in cancer immunotherapy.
The differences between cancers in adults and children go well beyond age. In many respects, they are markedly different diseases.
Many factors are involved in cancer, so it’s not always easy to tell why cancer develops, or what causes it—but we know for sure that the following six factors do not play a role in the development of cancer.
The vast majority of breast lumps are not indicators of breast cancer. However, there are other symptoms that may be indicative of breast cancer in some cases.
Young adults faced with a cancer diagnosis are in a particularly unique position.
Mammograms are effective methods of screening and diagnosing the disease even before symptoms arise, but it is still important to be aware of the signs and symptoms that may indicate cancer.
Keith Rohleder was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive blood cancer that most people have never heard of. But a new clinical trial put him into remission.
Scientists are making headway in understanding the basic biological mechanisms at work in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)—and how to intervene in ways that may slow or stop the cancer.