Press Releases
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May 8, 2008
Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz Jr., MD, speaks at U.S. Senate hearing on latest phase of the war on cancerTestifying today at a U.S. Senate Committee hearing on federal priorities for the fight against cancer, Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, urged legislators to view cancer research through the widest possible prism. read more
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May 6, 2008
Cells lining milk ducts hold key to spread of common form of breast cancer, study findsWhen a form of cancer that begins in the milk ducts of the breast invades neighboring tissue to spread to other parts of the body, the cause lies not in the tumor cells themselves but in a group of abnormal surrounding cells that cause the walls of the duct to deteriorate like a rusty pipe, according to a new study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers. read more
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May 2, 2008
Spring into sunny weather but stay sun safeAs the weather grows warmer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute physicians and nurses are encouraging people to be aware of the dangers of overexposure to the sun and to practice sun safety. read more
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April 18, 2008
Report describes first targeted therapy to produce remission of metastatic melanomaIn a demonstration that even some of the most hard-to-treat tumors may one day succumb to therapies aimed at molecular "weak points," researchers at Dana-Farber report the first instance in which metastatic melanoma has been driven into remission by a targeted therapy. read more
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April 17, 2008
Famed Ortiz "Yankee curse" jersey to be auctioned off to benefit Dana-Farber's Jimmy FundThe now famous David Ortiz replica Red Sox jersey that was chipped from beneath two feet of cement in the new Yankee Stadium is available for auction on eBay. The auction will benefit the Jimmy Fund, which supports adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. read more
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April 15, 2008
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts honors Dana-Farber with second annual Health Care Excellence AwardBlue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced today that Dana-Farber has been selected as recipient of its second annual Health Care Excellence Award. read more
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April 8, 2008
New data-handling technique finds genes to be team players in restraining brain cancer cell growthThe search for cancer genes is increasingly a matter of molecular "To Tell the Truth," as scientists seek to distinguish genes actually involved in the disease from those that are imposters. read more
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April 4, 2008
Lack of patient-provider discussion contributes to disparities in use of breast reconstruction after mastectomyIn a new study examining disparities in postmastectomy breast reconstruction, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber concluded that lack of patient-provider discussion may contribute to socioeconomic, age and race-related inconsistencies in the use of breast reconstruction after mastectomy. read more
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March 31, 2008
Study finds improvement in the care of children with cancer at the end of lifeExpanded use of palliative care services is associated with enhanced communications between families and caregivers, improved symptoms management, and better quality of life for children dying from cancer, according to study by researchers at Dana-Farber and Children's Hospital Boston. read more
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March 20, 2008
Scans spot hidden tumors in rare cancer syndromeResearchers at Dana-Farber report that full-body PET/CT scanning detected unsuspected, treatable tumors in 3 of 15 patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic cancer syndrome for which no screening tests have been recommended. read more
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March 19, 2008
National group selects Dana-Farber as palliative care learning labDana-Farber has been chosen as a "national learning lab" that other hospitals across the nation can consult with to improve their palliative (end-of-life) care programs. read more
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February 22, 2008
Another way to grow blood vessels: Scientists find alternate pathway to angiogenesisResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a previously unknown molecular pathway in mice that spurs the growth of new blood vessels when body parts are jeopardized by poor circulation. read more
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February 19, 2008
Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro pledge $27 million for state-of-the-art facilities and services to support cancer care at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer CenterOnce again demonstrating their commitment to improve healthcare and the fight against cancer, Carl J. and Ruth G. Shapiro have pledged $27 million to Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center in Boston to substantially upgrade and expand its facilities for cancer care services. read more
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February 19, 2008
Vaccine-and-antibody treatment shows effectiveness and milder side effects in advanced melanoma and ovarian cancer patientsOne of the shortcomings of a therapy that uses millions of identical antibodies to boost the immune system's attack on cancer cells is that many patients whose tumors recede in response to the treatment also experience serious inflammatory problems, such as severe diarrhea and rashes. In a new study, a team led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers shows that giving periodic infusions of such "monoclonal" antibodies to patients who have received a widely used cancer vaccine unleashes a strong immune response to tumors, with less-harsh side effects. read more
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February 13, 2008
Anxiety linked to overestimation of breast cancer risksElevated levels of anxiety may cause women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common form of non-invasive breast cancer, to overestimate their risk of recurrence or dying from breast cancer, suggests a study led by Dana-Farber researchers. read more
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February 12, 2008
Dana-Farber, Merck & Co. Inc. enter agreement to create "team" approach to cancer drug developmentIn an effort to improve the success rate of investigational cancer drugs entering clinical trials, the Center for Applied Cancer Science (CACS) of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Merck and Co., Inc., have established a collaboration to identify promising drug targets, and develop therapeutic candidates to reach those targets. read more
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January 11, 2008
New picture of HIV-1's protein jacket identifies attractive target for antibody-based vaccineBy coaxing the HIV-1 protein to reveal a hidden portion of its protein coat, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School have provided a newly detailed picture of how protective, or so-called broadly neutralizing, antibodies block HIV-1 infection. read more
