Tag Archives: MD
Study identifies possible therapy for radiation sickness
A combination of two drugs may alleviate radiation sickness in people who have been exposed to high levels of radiation, even when the therapy is given a day after the exposure occurred, according to a study led by scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital Boston.
Mouse studies of other potential therapies suggest they would be effective in humans only if administered within a few minutes or hours of radiation exposure, making them impractical for use in response to events involving mass casualties. In contrast, the larger time window for administering the two-drug regimen raises the prospect that it could …
Solving a Puzzle in BRCA1-caused Breast Cancers
Research Roundup
Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers
Women who carry a mutant BRCA1 gene are at high risk of developing aggressive breast cancers. Most of the tumors are “ER-negative,” meaning they aren’t driven by the estrogen hormone and thus don’t respond to estrogen-blocking agents.
But about 20 percent of breast cancers in BRCA1 carriers are ER-positive. Research by Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers scientist Daniel Silver, MD, PhD, is exploring this puzzling minority.
“We were wondering about these ER-positive tumors,” says Dr. Silver, “Where do they come from? Are they caused by the mutant BRCA1 gene, or are they sporadic, …
Exploring the Molecular Workings of Breast and Gynecologic Cancers
J. Dirk Iglehart, MD
By exploring the molecular workings of breast cancer and gynecologic cancers, researchers and clinicians at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers (SSC) are gaining new insights into the many subtypes of these diseases. Under the leadership of J. Dirk Iglehart, MD, they are also studying how genetic similarities among different cancers can be exploited to develop more effective therapies.
The center’s many clinical trials – about 65 are currently open and a comprehensive list is available at www.dana-farber.org/ clinicaltrials – provide patients with the latest treatments and therapeutic developments. Many trials evaluate treatments prior …
Is eating soy safe for breast cancer patients and survivors?
There has been widespread concern about whether it is safe for women with breast cancer to eat soy.
An excellent source of fiber, vitamin B6, and protein, soy is usually associated with a health-conscious diet, but research concerning its safety has been mixed.
Some studies have shown isoflavones, a class of phytoestrogens, or plant-derived compounds, found in soy could impact a woman’s estrogen levels and increase the risk of cancer recurrence among some breast cancer patients. Estrogen is known to promote the growth of breast cancer cells.
Wendy …
Dana-Farber scientists identify overactive genes in aggressive breast cancers
Potential new drug target for hard-to-treat ‘triple-negative’ disease
Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified an overactive network of growth-spurring genes that drive stem-like breast cancer cells enriched in triple-negative breast tumors, a typically aggressive cancer that is highly resistant to current therapies.
Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD, a breast cancer geneticist at Dana-Farber, and colleagues found that a large proportion of cells within these tumors showed elevated activity in a network of genes called the Jak2/Stat3 pathway.
Experiments have demonstrated that a drug specifically aimed to block this pathway halted the growth …
Dana-Farber physicians recognized as ‘Top Doctors’ in Boston area
Thirty-one Dana-Farber Cancer Institute cancer specialists were recognized by Boston magazine for being among the area’s top physicians.
Published in the December 2010 issue of Boston magazine, the “Top Doctors” list consists of 598 Boston-area physicians from 55 medical specialties who were included in Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors survey.
Tags: Boston, Boston Magazine, Castle Connolly Medical LTD, dana farber, Dirk Iglehart, Eric Winer, Featured, Harold Burstein, Jay Harris, Judy Garber, Lawrence Shulman, Lee Nadler, MD, Philip Kantoff, top doctors
Dana-Farber physicians recognized as 'Top Doctors' in Boston area
Thirty-one Dana-Farber Cancer Institute cancer specialists were recognized by Boston magazine for being among the area’s top physicians.
Published in the December 2010 issue of Boston magazine, the “Top Doctors” list consists of 598 Boston-area physicians from 55 medical specialties who were included in Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors survey.
Tags: Boston, Boston Magazine, Castle Connolly Medical LTD, dana farber, Dirk Iglehart, Eric Winer, Featured, Harold Burstein, Jay Harris, Judy Garber, Lawrence Shulman, Lee Nadler, MD, Philip Kantoff, top doctors
Body Fat Associated With a Higher Risk of ER-negative Breast Cancer
Previous research has shown that body fat distribution does not play an important role in the overall incidence of premenopausal breast cancer, but new research shows correlation with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer.
Boston, MA – Previous research has shown that body fat distribution does not play an important role in the overall incidence of premenopausal breast cancer. However, new research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found body fat is associated with an increased risk for estrogen receptor (ER)–negative breast cancer. These findings are published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Tags: Biomedical …
