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UrduKevin Haigis, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has been named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is a distinguished lifetime honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.
Tag: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Palliative care leader receives prestigious ASCO Special Award
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recognized Janet L. Abrahm, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as a recipient of an ASCO Special Award, the Society’s highest honor.
Kidney cancer treatments and tumor biology can activate different immune-modifying processes in patients
The findings out of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute highlight that the mechanisms of immune modulation are different in patients treated with immunotherapy and anti-angiogenic combinations. The results also point to the role of tumor biology in the diversity and actions of tumor-infiltrating immune cells brought into action by these treatments. The findings might be important for predicting or understanding treatment outcomes in advanced kidney cancer.
Dual-action drug produces positive results in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors, trial finds
Cabozantinib, which targets tumor cell growth and tumor blood vessel growth, sharply improved progression-free survival over placebo in patients with extra-pancreatic and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Kidney cancer study shows improved outcomes for patients with advanced disease when treated with belzutifan over everolimus
Belzutifan significantly reduced the risk of progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common type of kidney cancer, in patients previously treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-angiogenic therapies compared with everolimus in a phase 3 clinical trial.
Pancreatic cancer research in vaccines, immune-based therapies and KRAS inhibition funded by The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), a leading non-profit in the fight against pancreatic cancer, has awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers William Freed-Pastor, MD, PhD, and Julien Dilly, MS, research grants of $250,000 and $150,000, respectively over a 2-year period, to support their crucial work in the field of pancreatic cancer research.
Antibody Treatment Prevents Graft Versus Host Disease, a Major Bone Marrow Transplant Complication, in Advanced Preclinical Tests
An experimental antibody treatment largely prevented a bone marrow transplant complication called graft versus host disease (GVHD) in the intestines, without causing broad immune suppression, in a preclinical study led by researchers from Penn Medicine and Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and published today in Science Translational Medicine.
Treatment decisions in new era of individualized therapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer guided by Dana-Farber case study
This case study by Dana-Farber gives evidence-based guidance for how to navigate decision-making for individual patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.
Breast, rectal, kidney, and brain cancer phase 3 trials headline Dana-Farber research at ASCO Annual Meeting
Several phase 3 studies conducted by researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute show promising results for patients with rectal, brain, and kidney cancers. The results of these studies, along with dozens of others led by Dana-Farber researchers, will be presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.
Three-drug combination slows progression of advanced kidney cancer
A targeted kinase inhibitor added to a two-drug immunotherapy combination slowed the progression of advanced kidney cancer in previously untreated patients, according to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine and led by an oncologist from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Research uncovers alternate mechanism for producing key protein in metastatic prostate cancer
In the Nature Cancer study, researchers led by Dana-Farber’s Himisha Beltran, MD, and Martin Bakht, PhD, found that PSMA expression is lower in liver metastases than in other parts of the body, regardless of expression of the androgen receptor. They also found that some tumors that test negative for the AR do express PSMA and that some AR-positive tumors don’t – which led them to look for a control mechanism that doesn’t involve the AR. Their search revealed that the HOXB13 protein as a key regulator of PSMA.
Immunotherapy with two novel drugs shows activity in colorectal cancer
A combination of two next-generation immunotherapy drugs has shown promising clinical activity in treating patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, a disease which has not previously responded well to immunotherapies, according to a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher.
Molecular tumor board provides useful assist in cancer precision medicine
A paper posted online by JCO Precision Oncology reports that a molecular tumor board program has largely fulfilled expectations, providing expert treatment guidance for more than 500 patients over the six-month evaluation period and identifying clinical trials appropriate for the majority of them. Overall, the team has reviewed test results for more than 2,700 patients to date. The findings suggest that the program can be a model for other cancer centers.
Three-drug combination slows progression of advanced kidney cancer
A targeted kinase inhibitor added to a two-drug immunotherapy combination slowed the progression of advanced kidney cancer in previously untreated patients, according to research led by an oncologist from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
AACI Congratulates Dr. Monica Bertagnolli on Appointment as NCI Director
AACI commends the Biden administration on its decision to appoint surgical oncologist Monica Bertagnolli, MD, as the next director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Bertagnolli is the first woman to serve as NCI director.
Improved progression-free survival in multiple myeloma patients following three-drug therapy with autologous stem cell transplant
Patients with multiple myeloma who have been treated with a three-drug combination therapy have a growing number of choices for subsequent treatment. Results of a new study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute can help patients and their physicians weigh benefits and risks of each option.
Targeted Drug Achieves 43% Response Rate in KRAS-mutated Lung Cancer
Nearly 43% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose lung cancers harbored a specific KRAS mutation responded to the experimental drug adagrasib, and the targeted agent also showed activity against lesions in the brain that metastasized from the lung tumors, according to results of a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators.
Survival similar for younger and older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, study finds
Even though young patients with metastatic colorectal cancer tend to be more fit and receive more intensive treatment than older patients, both groups survive for roughly the same amount of time, according to a new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators.
Antibody-drug conjugate shows impressive activity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer with mutation in HER2 gene
More than half of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) bearing a mutation in the HER2 gene had their tumors stop growing or shrink for an extended time after treatment with a drug that hitches a chemotherapy agent to a highly targeted antibody, an international clinical trial led by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has found.
Dana-Farber launches new podcast series, Unraveled
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is launching a new podcast series, titled Unraveled, to explain the science behind some of the most important breakthroughs in cancer research.
New research uncovers how cancers with common gene mutation develop resistance to targeted drugs
A new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers has given scientists their first look at the genomic landscape of tumors that have grown resistant to drugs targeting the abnormal KRASG12C protein. Their work shows that, far from adopting a common route to becoming resistant, the cells take a strikingly diverse set of avenues, often several at a time. The findings, reported online today in the New England Journal of Medicine, underscore the need for new drugs that inhibit KRAS differently than current agents do.
Immunotherapy drug delays recurrence in kidney cancer patients
Treatment with an immunotherapy drug following kidney cancer surgery, prolonged disease-free survival rates in patients at high risk for recurrence, according to an interim report of a phase 3 clinical trial of adjuvant immunotherapy in this patient population.
Survival benefits of immunotherapy combination persist for more than six years in patients with advanced melanoma
In the longest follow-up results from a clinical trial of combination immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, investigators report that nearly half the patients who received the drugs nivolumab and ipilimumab were alive a median of six and a half years after treatment.
Dana-Farber researchers present key studies at ASCO annual meeting
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers are presenting dozens of research studies at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The studies will be presented during the virtual program on June 4-8, 2021. ASCO is the world’s largest clinical cancer research meeting, attracting more than 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world.
Immunotherapy combination shows benefit for patients with advanced melanoma, phase 3 trial shows
A combination of two drugs that target different proteins on immune system T cells kept advanced melanoma in check significantly longer than one of the drugs alone in a phase 3 clinical trial involving 714 patients. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators co-led the study.
“45 is the new 50” as age for colorectal cancer screening is lowered
Prompted by a recent alarming rise in cases of colorectal cancer in people younger than 50, an independent expert panel has recommended that individuals of average risk for the disease begin screening exams at 45 years of age instead of the traditional 50.
“A concerning increase in colorectal cancer incidence among younger individuals (ie, younger than 50 years; defined as young-onset colorectal cancer) has been documented since the mid-1990s, with 11% of colon cancers and 15% of rectal cancers in 2020 occurring among patients younger than 50 years, compared with 5% and 9%, respectively, in 2010,” said Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, first author of an editorial in JAMA accompanying the article about the guideline change of the USPSTF.
Dana-Farber nurses present research at 2021 Oncology Nursing Society Congress
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers are presenting key studies at the 46th Annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress. The presentations focus on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, the need for diversity, equity and inclusion in oncology nursing as well as the critical role oncology nurse navigators play in a patient’s treatment plan.
Expert panel issues recommendations for addressing cancer inequities
Expert panel issues recommendations for addressing cancer inequities
CAR T-cell therapy generates lasting remissions in patients with multiple myeloma
In a major advance in the treatment of multiple myeloma, a CAR T-cell therapy has generated deep, sustained remissions in patients who had relapsed from several previous therapies, an international clinical trial has found.
Dana-Farber to hold a discussion for cancer patients and survivors about the Covid-19 vaccine
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is having a virtual discussion for cancer patients and survivors about the Covid-19 vaccine on January 27, 2020 at 5 pm.
Dana-Farber research supports FDA approval for immunotherapy combination in advanced kidney cancer
An immunotherapy agent combined with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug whose clinical testing as a first-line treatment in advanced kidney cancer was led by Toni K. Choueiri, MD, Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has become a standard therapy.
Study shows sharp decline in cancer screenings and diagnoses during the first COVID-19 surge
In one of the first studies to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnoses, researchers at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center document a substantial decline in cancer and precancer diagnoses at the Northeast’s largest health care system during the first peak of the pandemic because of a drop in the number of cancer screening tests performed.
Study finds new evidence of health threat from chemicals in marijuana and tobacco smoke
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have uncovered new evidence of the potential health risks of chemicals in tobacco and marijuana smoke.
Circulating tumor DNA indicates increased risk of relapse after stem cell transplant in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Many patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be cured by a transplant using their own blood-forming stem cells, but as many as half eventually relapse. New research led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists suggests that patients whose blood or stem cell samples harbor tumor DNA are likely to relapse.
Venetoclax added to standard treatments shows promise in high-risk myeloid blood cancers
The novel oral drug venetoclax can be safely added to standard therapies for some high-risk myeloid blood cancers and in early studies the combination shows promise of improved outcomes, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
CAR T-cell therapy found highly effective in patients with high-risk non-Hodgkin lymphoma
A CAR T-cell therapy known as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) drove cancer cells to undetectable levels in nearly 80% of patients with advanced non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in a phase 2 clinical trial, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators report at the virtual 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
Study reveals surprising benefit of clonal hematopoiesis in allogeneic transplants
Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is a recently identified condition in which mutations associated with blood cancers are detected in the blood of some healthy, usually older, individuals who don’t have cancer. People with CH, while asymptomatic, have an elevated risk of developing blood cancers and other negative health outcomes, including heart attacks and strokes.
Donor stem cell transplant shown to improve survival in older patients with myelodysplastic syndrome
A new clinical trial offers the most compelling evidence to date that a donor stem cell transplant can improve survival rates for older patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators report at the virtual 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
Mortality rate after cancer surgery drops during 10-year period, but gap persists between Black and white patients
Mortality rates after cancer surgery declined for Black as well as white patients during a recent ten-year period, although the mortality gap between the two groups did not narrow, according to new research by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard University investigators.
Dana-Farber to present more than 40 research studies at 2020 ASH Annual Meeting
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers will present more than 40 research studies at the virtual 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting on December 5-8, including two studies that were selected for inclusion in the official press program.
Medicaid expansion linked to lower mortality rates for three major types of cancer
In states that have expanded Medicaid availability as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), mortality rates for three major forms of cancer are significantly lower than in states that have not expanded their Medicaid, a new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard University shows.
Targeted inhibitor of mutated KRAS gene shows promise in early trial for lung, bowel, and other solid tumors
A novel agent that targets a mutated form of the KRAS gene – the most commonly altered oncogene in human cancers and one long considered “undruggable” – shrank tumors in most patients in a clinical trial with manageable side effects, researchers reported today at the 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Therapeutic, which is taking place online.
Study offers global review of impact of COVID-19 on cancer treatment and research
The report, by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other institutions, suggests that while COVID-19 has complicated the treatment of cancer patients, it has also spurred creative solutions to challenges in clinical care, and research into the new disease is benefiting from insights gained over years of cancer research.
Immunotherapy Combination Improves Outcomes in Advanced Kidney Cancer
An immunotherapy agent combined with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug significantly improved progression-free survival and reduced the risk of death compared to a single agent treatment in advanced kidney cancer patients, according to first results of a phase 3 clinical trial. The pivotal study could lead to a new treatment option for patients with metastatic kidney cancer.
Daily coffee consumption associated with improved survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
In a large group of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, consumption of a few cups of coffee a day was associated with longer survival and a lower risk of the cancer worsening, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other organizations report in a new study.
Association of American Cancer Institutes to Honor Nobel Laureate, William G. Kaelin, Jr.
William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, will receive the Association of American Cancer Institutes’ (AACI) Distinguished Scientist Award on October 12, during the 2020 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting.
Prostate cancer metastasis linked to revival of dormant molecular program
When prostate cancer progresses to a more-dangerous metastatic state, it does so by resurrecting dormant molecular mechanisms that had guided the fetal development of the prostate gland but had been subsequently switched off, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dana-Farber President & CEO Emeritus receives ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity
Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, President and CEO Emeritus of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Richard and Susan Smith Distinguished Professor at Harvard Medical School, has received the 2020 ASH Award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity.
Biomarker test highly accurate in detecting early kidney cancer
A novel liquid biopsy method can detect kidney cancers with high accuracy, including small, localized tumors which are often curable but for which no early detection method exists, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The report in Nature Medicine suggests that if validated in larger trials and applied widely, the non-invasive test could find more early kidney cancers when they haven’t spread, thus reducing the mortality of the disease.
Online program significantly improves insomnia in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, study finds
In a study published today by Pediatric Blood and Cancer, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute show that an online program developed specifically for AYA cancer survivors can significantly alleviate insomnia and improve overall quality of life.