Press Releases
2003
December 30, 2003
Patients taking Taxol may be eligible for refundAs the result of a recent antitrust settlement, a $12.5 million fund has been established to pay cancer patients who were treated with Taxol or paclitaxel between Jan. 1, 1999, and Feb. 28, 2003, according to the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. The deadline for filing claims is Jan. 31, 2004. read more
December 18, 2003
Dana-Farber receives grant to help find cure for mantle cell lymphomaThe Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) has awarded Dana-Farber a $315,000 grant to help find a cure for mantle cell lymphoma, one of the rarer forms of the disease. read more
December 12, 2003
Platelet donors needed to help avert shortage during holidaysDecember 9, 2003
DFCI scientists create lab model of human pancreatic cancer that could yield advances in early diagnosis, treatment of lethal diseaseResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have created a lab model that develops aggressive, fatal pancreatic cancer through the same genetic mishaps that cause the disease in humans. read more
December 5, 2003
Fertility worries common in young breast cancer survivorsA survey of young breast cancer survivors found that more than half likely overestimated their risk for developing treatment related infertility, according to Dana-Farber researchers. read more
December 3, 2003
Surgery without radiation inadequate for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, study revealsA study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital has found that women who chose not to receive radiation therapy following surgery for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) experienced recurrences at a surprisingly high rate. This suggests that surgery alone is inadequate in treating these small, very early breast cancers. read more
December 2, 2003
DFCI adds new combined PET/CT scanner to help physicians pinpoint cancers with extreme accuracyA new "hybrid" whole-body scanner just entering service at Dana-Farber will enable patients to undergo two types of scans in the same machine, producing a combined image that enables physicians to pinpoint cancers with extreme accuracy. read more
November 11, 2003
Dana-Farber holds second annual conference for survivors of women's cancersSurvivors of women's cancers connected with their caregivers and one another recently at Dana-Farber's second annual "Beyond Cancer: Celebrating Survivorship" conference. The event drew some 275 current and former patients and their family members - twice as many guests as last year. read more
November 7, 2003
Dana-Farber president elected AAAS fellow in recognition of his contributions to blood cell researchEdward J. Benz, Jr. M.D., president of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an internationally recognized hematologist, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). read more
November 3, 2003
New Strategic Plan puts accent on collaboration, sets goal of conquering major forms of cancer in 10 yearsAgreeing that science is primed for a decisive advance against cancer, Dana-Farber's Board of Trustees last week approved a Strategic Plan that sets the Institute on a course to conquer major forms of the disease within a decade. read more
October 31, 2003
Scientists identify novel enzyme with key role in leukemia protein's normal functionDana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have discovered an enzyme they say accounts for a cancer-causing protein's Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. read more
October 30, 2003
November is National Marrow Awareness MonthNovember is National Marrow Awareness month, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is encouraging people to help save lives by registering to be a potential donor. read more
October 29, 2003
DFCI study shows medical schools lack end-of-life trainingA new study has revealed a substantial gap between American medical students' interest in caring for dying patients and their preparation to do so. read more
October 11, 2003
Tour of Hope UpdateFollow Eric Winer, MD, as he cycles across the country with Lance Armstrong to promote cancer research and clinical trials. read more
September 17, 2003
Dana-Farber researchers to lead collaborative smallpox studiesThe National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced today that it has selected Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to head one of five newly established Cooperative Centers for Translational Research on Human Immunology and Biodefense. read more
September 8, 2003
Brain cells found to hold key to growth of certain breast cancersThe ability of some breast cancers to grow rapidly and tenaciously may be the result of a survival strategy borrowed from brain cells, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found. read more
September 2, 2003
Study raises prospect of practical vaccine for metastatic melanomaIn a step toward a practical vaccine for advanced melanoma, a notoriously difficult-to-treat form of cancer, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have demonstrated the effectiveness of a vaccine that is safer and easier to produce than earlier versions. read more
August 21, 2003
The Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute mourn the loss of Ken Coleman, former Jimmy Fund Director and longtime supporter, voice of the Red SoxThe staff and the extended family of the world-renowned cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and its fundraising arm, the Jimmy Fund, mourn the loss of Ken Coleman. In addition to being a beloved radio announcer known as the "voice of the Red Sox," Coleman was the second director of the Jimmy Fund, serving from 1978 to 1984, and a longtime supporter of the charity, especially its golf program. read more
August 18, 2003
Second all-day radiothon at Fenway Park to celebrate Jimmy Fund/Red Sox bondFor the second consecutive year, Fenway Park will host a live, daylong radiothon and other related events this month — including an online auction — to celebrate the 50-year partnership between the Jimmy Fund and the Boston Red Sox. read more
August 8, 2003
Scientists demonstrate new method for discovering cancer gene functionUsing a new approach for dissecting the complicated interactions among many genes, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered how a common cancer gene works in tandem with another gene to spur the unchecked growth of cells. read more
August 1, 2003
Physician's emotional response to patient's death increases with length of careThe longer a doctor spends caring for a patient, the more vulnerable that doctor is to feelings of loss when that patient dies — but doctors often suffer these emotions in silence. read more
July 29, 2003
Targeted drug combination found effective in treating specific form of metastatic breast cancerA two-drug combination has proved effective and well tolerated in women with a specific form of advanced breast cancer, according to a study led by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. read more
July 23, 2003
Common screening test may be missing majority of prostate cancersThrough a specialized analysis of existing prostate cancer data, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have shed new light on the debate surrounding the efficacy of a popular cancer screening test. read more
July 17, 2003
U.S.News & World Report ranks Dana-Farber as New England's top cancer hospital
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, for the third straight year, has been rated the top cancer hospital in New England and the fourth best in the nation by U.S.News & World Report in its annual America's Best Hospitals guide. read more
July 11, 2003
Mutant gene found to cause early ovarian failure in miceResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered a gene mutation in mice that causes premature ovarian failure, a form of infertility affecting an estimated 250,000 women in the United States. read more
July 1, 2003
Obesity associated with poorer outcomes for women, but not for men, with colon cancerHigher body mass index is associated with an increased risk for colon cancer although its influence on established colon cancer is largely unknown. read more
June 26, 2003
Novel cancer drug achieves significant response rate in patients with advanced multiple myelomaResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have published data on the results of a collaborative multicenter trial demonstrating significant responses to the novel drug Velcade in patients whose multiple myeloma, an incurable bone marrow cancer, had progressed despite several previous treatments. read more
June 4, 2003
Study suggests more cancer patients receiving aggressive care at end-of-lifeA growing number of terminally ill cancer patients may be receiving aggressive treatment when they were near death, according to study that was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago on June 1. read more
June 4, 2003
New compound shows promise when Gleevec loses potency in patients with rare digestive-tract cancerPatients with the rare digestive-tract cancer known as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who develop resistance to the front-line drug Gleevec may benefit from a novel compound that targets specific genetic mutations in GIST cells. read more
May 23, 2003
Study finds one-third of parents include complementary therapies as part of treatment for children with cancerA study looking at the use of complementary therapies by pediatric cancer patients found that one-out-of-three patients received some form of complementary therapy in addition to conventional cancer treatment, according to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers. read more
May 20, 2003
Mutated protein combination tied to excessive sugar productionResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have traced runaway sugar production in the liver - an important feature of diabetes - to flaws in a two-protein combination at the heart of a molecular switch that responds to insulin. read more
May 15, 2003
Sensitivity - then resistance - of some ovarian tumor cells to chemotherapy linked to genetic abnormalityResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a team of international collaborators have identified a genetic abnormality that makes ovarian tumor cells initially sensitive to a common chemotherapy agent, cisplatin, and then resistant to the drug over time. read more
May 15, 2003
FDA approves Velcade for treatment for relapsed and refractive multiple myelomaThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today authorized the use of Velcade (TM) (bortezomib) for Injection for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients who have received at least two prior therapies and have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy. read more
April 30, 2003
Scientists report discovery of cancer-causing gene in childhood kidney tumorIn a discovery sparked by a routine check-up of a young cancer survivor, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital Boston have identified a gene responsible for a childhood form of the kidney tumor papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC). read more
April 10, 2003
Study sheds new light on how common painkillers may help prevent colon cancerBuilding on earlier studies that have shown that common painkillers known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can reduce the risk of colon cancer in healthy people, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a mechanism by which NSAIDs inhibit the development of colon cancer. read more
April 9, 2003
A gene carried only by males sparks immune reaction to stem cell transplants from female donorsDana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers report that in some cases of stem cell transplants from female donors to male recipients, the transplanted cells mount an immunological attack against the product of a gene carried by most cells in the body of male recipients. read more
April 7, 2003
New technique gives scientists clearest picture yet of all the genes of an animalDana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have used a powerful gene-mapping technique to produce the clearest picture yet of all the genes of an animal — the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans (better known as C. elegans). read more
April 1, 2003
Antibody therapy can increase the effectiveness of cancer vaccine, preliminary study suggestsThe benefit of some cancer vaccines may be boosted by treating patients with an antibody that blocks a key protein on immune system T cells, according to a small, preliminary study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital. read more
March 26, 2003
Rare blood disease shown to be a form of treatable cancerIn the process of figuring out why an anti-cancer drug is effective in treating patients with a rare blood disorder known as hypereosinophilic syndrome, or HES, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that the condition may in fact be a form of cancer. read more
March 25, 2003
Underserved U.S. minorities face "unequal burden of cancer" that must be corrected, according to reportsBarriers to healthy lifestyles, early detection services and good medical care are contributing to higher cancer incidence and mortality rates for African Americans and other medically underserved minorities in this country when compared with white U.S. citizens. read more
March 20, 2003
American Association of Cancer Research to honor Dana-Farber's Ronald A. DePinho with its oldest research awardThe American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) has named Ronald A. DePinho, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute the recipient of the 43rd AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award, the organization's oldest honor. read more
March 17, 2003
Dana-Farber and the National Foundation for Cancer Research launch new center to strengthen therapeutic antibody research and engineeringThe Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) announced today the establishment of the NFCR Center for Therapeutic Antibody Engineering at Dana-Farber to assist scientists in developing new antibodies for cancer research. read more
March 6, 2003
Red Sox to sponsor Pan-Massachusetts Challenge as centerpiece of $1 million donation to the Jimmy FundThe Boston Red Sox will become the presenting sponsor of the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), the nation's most successful athletic fundraising event and lead benefactor of the Jimmy Fund. read more
March 4, 2003
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness MonthMarch is national colorectal cancer awareness month, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute physicians and nurses are encouraging people who are age 50 and older to be screened regularly for the disease. read more
February 28, 2003
Screening test can help identify cancer survivors at risk for emotional distress, study findsA relatively brief screening test can give caregivers a good indication of which cancer survivors are emotionally distressed and may benefit from further psychological evaluation, according to new research by a team of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators. read more
February 20, 2003
New drug combination improves survival in rare, aggressive bone cancer of children and young adultsAdding two experimental drugs to the standard four-drug chemotherapy regimen has significantly improved survival in patients with non-metastatic Ewing's sarcoma, a highly malignant bone cancer of children and young adults, according to a report being published in the Feb. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. read more
February 14, 2003
Vaccine technique shows potential against common form of lung cancerIn a demonstration of vaccine therapy's potential for treating lung cancer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists and their associates report that a prototype vaccine boosted the natural immune response to tumors in a small group of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Moreover, the vaccine was found to be non-toxic and well-tolerated. read more
February 7, 2003
Genetically modified zebrafish may point the way toward genes responsible for T cell leukemia, aid in drug developmentScientists hunting for genes responsible for acute lymphoblastic leukemia have a new compass: a system that uses powerful genetic techniques in a zebrafish model. read more
January 30, 2003
Study sheds light on how the sun causes skin cancerResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have made a discovery that could help solve a mystery in cancer biology: how a sunburn acquired during a childhood day at the beach can develop into a deadly tumor decades later. read more
January 23, 2003
Effects of rare, devastating disease linked to shrinking of cells' telomeresScientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and their colleagues have found that much of the widespread damage that the rare genetic disease ataxia telangiectasia, or AT, wreaks on the body results from the progressive shortening of telomeres, the structures that cap the ends of a cell's chromosomes. read more
