Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Research by Dana-Farber’s Mahasweta Gooptu, MD, in collaboration with the US National Marrow Program registry, confirms a new approach to stem cell transplant donor matching, which could dramatically improve the ability for people to safely access hematopoietic stem cell transplants no matter their race or ethnicity. https://bit.ly/4fDXiKS

Today is GivingTuesday! By donating to Dana-Farber and The Jimmy Fund, you are investing in a future where cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease. Your generosity helps us push the boundaries of science, develop new therapies, and offer hope to countless individuals and families. Donate now and your gift will stretch THREE TIMES as far in celebration of GivingTuesday: https://bit.ly/3Zd0Kqd. #GivingTuesday

Between 2010 and 2020, there were 30 drug approvals for the treatment of breast cancer. “We are seeing an increasing pace of approval of new drugs compared to the past,” says research fellow Paolo Tarantino, MD. “As a result, the algorithms we use to treat patients are also becoming more and more complex.” In 2021, this complexity led the Breast Oncology Group (BOC) – a team of more than 30 breast oncologists at the Institute – to draft several Breast Cancer Treatment Guidelines in response to new approvals or changes in practice. So far, the team has published 12 guidelines. The guidelines are written for healthcare providers and are available for anyone to view, including external practitioners and practitioners at Dana-Farber’s main campus and regional campuses. “We want to make sure our group practices uniformly, so there aren’t differences from one doctor to the next,” says Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Breast Oncology. “There is always new data coming out from research studies. We want to make sure everyone has a sense of what the data showed and how we are interpreting it.” Work on a new guideline begins when there is new research data that will change clinical practice. The team assigns a faculty member to gather the data and present a summary of the evidence with recommendations and questions. The team then votes on how to apply the new data in cases of clinical decision making. After the discussion, the presenter leads the development of a draft guideline document based on any consensus the team reached during the meeting. When ready, this document is circulated to the breast oncology team for further review and comments. The guidelines have helped the BOC team get on the same page regarding when and how to use novel treatments, and to prepare for the new practice of using them. “We want to make sure we can practically introduce something new,” says Tolaney. “These guidelines are helping us all make sure we’re practicing in a way where our patients get the best care.” The team relies on a project manager, Kate Bak, MS, to facilitates creation, completion, and publication. Bak started her career working on treatment guidelines for oncology in Ontario, Canada and at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), making her uniquely qualified for this role. Once the comments are in, she does the legwork to get copyright approvals for figures the team would like to include. Once the guideline is finalized and ready to go, it is published throughout the institute. The work on these guidelines, however, is never done. Each one must be updated periodically, and the team ensures that the guidelines are consistent with one another. “It’s just the way that medicine is,” says Tarantino. “It comes with many nuances. But this process has helped us understand each other and to consolidate our thinking around a common strategy to implement new drugs in the treatment of breast cancer.” https://bit.ly/48Tu5tj

There are many ways aspiring physicians fall in love with medicine, but Joel Katz, MD, MACP, senior vice president of Education at Dana-Farber, may have one of the most unique. Prior to earning his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University, he was a medical illustrator drawing faces of patients with facial fractures for a textbook when he decided to trade his pens 🖊️ for a stethoscope 🩺. “The art was satisfying, but it was lonely and isolating,” Katz explains. “I really enjoyed spending time with patients, so I rerouted my career.” On July 1, he joined the Institute after a long career in medicine and education. Drawing on his extensive background, Katz leads the accreditation of Dana-Farber’s training and continuing medical education programs – a task that first requires an inventory of the Institute’s extensive training infrastructure and expertise. “We do an enormous amount of teaching at Dana-Farber,” says Katz, who is also an associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Katz now oversees the comprehensive teaching and mentorship of medical students, residents, and clinical fellows and seeks to make teamwork the centerpiece by bringing together diverse professional education programs that extend to nurses, pharmacists, and researchers. Art continues to guide Katz’s work. “There are significant overlaps in art and medicine – careful observation, nurturing empathic connections, tying clues into a compelling narrative, and feeling comfortable with the inevitable ambiguity of both fields,” he remarks. That confluence of art and health care is apparent at the Institute, observes Katz. “The Institute’s art collection is on the level of a museum, carefully curated and displayed to promote healing,” he observes. “It’s one of the aspects that attracted me to this role.” At home, he continues to paint 🎨, a passion he shares with his three children, who are also artists. Even in this stage of his life, the cycle of educator-to-educated persists. Katz says his kids have recently surpassed him in talent. “Now they’re teaching me things,” he chuckles.

Welcome Jose A. Cancelas, MD, PhD, who recently joined Dana-Farber as the director of the Connell and O’Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility (CMCF)! 👋 The CMCF, established in 1996, is known for being at the center of the development of a range of approved and experimental cell therapies for cancer, including stem cell, CAR T-cell, gene therapies, and cancer vaccines. From its inception, the CMCF has been a place where investigators with new ideas for a cell or gene therapy can transform those ideas into a patient-ready therapy. Cancelas, who is succeeding Jerome Ritz, MD, founder and longtime director of the CMCF, aims to continue these practices with a focus on complementing and expanding what Ritz and his team have already built: a facility that reliably prepares established cell therapies for patients and simultaneously enables the development of new ones. “I want to help our investigators turn their dreams of new therapies into a reality for patients in early phase clinical trials,” explains Cancelas. “We want to bring as many beneficial cell therapies to patients as possible.” Cancelas, a stem cell and hematopoiesis biologist, also runs his laboratory at Dana-Farber 🔬. His focus is on understanding how blood cells form and how blood cancers and other disorders develop. Most recently, he developed a method that extends the shelf life of donor-derived stored blood platelet products. This new breakthrough will reduce waste and prevent shortages. “My interest is always the same,” states Cancelas. “It is to create and help develop potent, safe, cell-based products to address unmet clinical needs.”

The Breast Oncology Program is changing how outcomes of clinical trials are shared with patients and other non-clinical audiences by publishing summaries of trials led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The documents, called plain language summaries, provide a structured synopsis of each trial’s focus, reason for being conducted, results, and how the trial may help advance research. “Our patients are not only our trial participants – they’re also our partners,” states Erica Mayer, MD, MPH, director of Clinical Research at Dana-Farber and a medical oncologist in Breast Oncology. “It’s important for our patients to learn from the research as much as we, the researchers, do. We hope that the creation of plain language summaries for clinical trials led by Dana-Farber is part of our routine research process. We also hope to serve as a model for other treatment centers here and in the greater medical community.” Read the plain language summaries from Breast Oncology at https://bit.ly/48TjsGV. #breastcancer #breastcancerawareness #cancerresearch

Congratulations are to Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, on her well-earned recognition through mentoring and field advancement awards! Patridge is the recipient of this year’s Casty Family Achievement in Mentoring Award, being recognized for her commitment to fostering the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of Dana-Farber researchers and toward creating the next generation of leaders. “I am extremely honored to receive this award that recognizes the importance of mentoring at Dana-Farber,” remarks Partridge, who is the Institute’s interim chair of Medical Oncology. “It’s a true joy to support junior faculty, trainees, and students, and to watch them develop their talents in devotion to our shared mission of defying cancer.” Partridge is also the Eric. P. Winer Chair in Breast Cancer Research, founder and director of the Young and Strong Program for Young Adults with Breast Cancer, and director of the Adult Survivorship Program. Partridge was also honored with the esteemed ESMO Award from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). The award, presented to Partridge in September at the ESMO Congress Opening Ceremony in Barcelona, recognizes her work and commitment to advancing the field of breast cancer, which has led to significant advances in understanding breast cancer and caring for those who develop the disease.

Why are pancreatic cancer rates rising in young adults? Researchers at Dana-Farber are investigating genetic and environmental factors behind this trend. Learn how early detection and genetic testing could improve outcomes for this cancer, which still remains rare. #PancreaticCancer #CancerCare #EarlyDetection #GeneticTesting #CancerResearch

Smokers have a 20-fold increase in the risk of lung cancer compared to non-smokers. David Jackman, MD, senior physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, addresses common lung cancer risk factors like secondhand smoke, asbestos, radioactive substances, and others. #cancerprevention #cancerscreening #oncology #doctor #lungs #carcinoma

In 2009, Christie Brophy, M.Div., STM, visited Dana-Farber, accompanying a family member for cancer treatment. At the time, she was deep into her finance career, with no plans for a change in profession. But from that first visit, Brophy says, “I knew Dana-Farber was a special place.” Now, Brophy serves as a multifaith chaplain at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center at South Shore Health. In 2013, she transitioned from finance to spiritual care, studying at Boston University’s School of Theology. Her journey included field education at Harvard Divinity School and a 400-hour practicum through Dana-Farber’s Spiritual Care’s Chaplain Intern Program. “Our interns bring fresh perspectives and energy to our team,” says Rev. Helen Bodell, M.Div., Dana-Farber’s director of Spiritual Care. The program, offering intensive and extensive cohorts, focuses on personal, spiritual, and professional growth, blending ethics, theology, and patient care for a comprehensive chaplaincy experience. Brophy highlights the importance of well-being for everyone on the team: “In oncology, there’s a lot to hold internally, so it’s crucial to have an outlet.” Chaplains provide emotional and spiritual support, helping people manage existential crises and offering blessings and prayers, including stem cell blessings as patients enter new treatment phases 🙏. Brophy joined Dana-Farber as a staff chaplain in 2019 after serving as a volunteer. She notes, “Spirituality is not one-size-fits-all. We see people of all faiths, no faith, and everything in between. We’re here to help people find strength in their own way.” With her finance background, Brophy brings clarity and focus, which, along with her warmth and compassion, strengthens her role in patient care and support.