Latest Clinical & Research News
Specialty: Oncology
Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is growing in incidence and now seen primarily in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV). Eleni M. Rettig, MD, associate surgeon at the Brigham, recently published a review of a biomarker-based surveillance method that includes a plasma-based assay to detect circulating tumor HPV DNA post-treatment.
Read More...
A meta-analysis of five clinical trials found that adding docetaxel to standard-of-care treatment in men with high-grade, nonmetastatic prostate cancer and low PSA levels was associated with a significant reduction in death from prostate cancer. The Brigham’s Anthony Victor D’Amico, MD, PhD, senior author of the new paper, elaborates.
Read More...
Immunotherapy drugs that harness a patient’s immune system to fight cancer have become an important treatment for a subset of patients with certain cancers. A team co-led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has uncovered new findings about why some patients fail to respond to these drugs. The research suggests new approaches for making the medications more effective. Read More
In October, The New England Journal of Medicine published a case vignette focusing on a 61-year-old man with prostate cancer. Two physicians—Anthony Victor D’Amico, MD, PhD, chief of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, and Freddie Hamdy, FRCS(Urol.), FMedSci, of the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Oxford—present evidence on the appropriate clinical care approach. NEJM readers can cast their vote on which direction they would take based on the two essays. Read More
The efficacy of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in reducing prostate cancer (PCa) mortality remains a matter of debate. Nonetheless, some racial and ethnic minority groups—particularly Black and Hispanic men—are less likely to receive prostate cancer screening and treatment. This discrepancy, in turn, may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in PCa outcomes, including higher mortality rates. Read More
Immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has been a life-changing advance for a subset of people with cancer, but additional research is needed to learn how to make these treatments more broadly effective and longer lasting. A team led by scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital has published a paper revealing new details about the tumor characteristics that facilitate a strong clinical response to these drugs. Read More
The 2023 ASTRO Annual Meeting – the leading meeting in radiation oncology is holding its annual conference October 1-4. Several leaders from Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center will present their latest research and clinical advancements in their particular areas of expertise in radiation oncology. Read More
Multidisciplinary cancer care is crucial for uncommon and complex diseases like sarcomas, and very few cancer centers can provide the level of expert care that Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center can. That is because Dana-Farber Brigham has invested heavily in its clinical and research infrastructure, building a team of specialized physician-scientists and other sarcoma-focused clinicians who work closely together to provide outstanding care and drive life-changing research advances. Read More
A Brigham clinic offers high-resolution anoscopy to screen for anal dysplasia in people at increased risk of anal cancer due to HPV infection, HIV status, and other factors. Co-founders James Yoo, MD, and Jennifer A. Johnson, MD, explain their mission to reduce the incidence of anal cancer in high-risk populations.
Read More...
A growing set of low-risk cancers, including early-stage thyroid and kidney cancers, is associated with excellent outcomes regardless of management strategy. Given the risks associated with overtreatment of these cancers, it follows that many patients should be treated nonoperatively. Read More