Press Releases
1999
December 9, 1999
Harvard affiliates launch cancer collaborative to accelerate development of new therapiesDana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, four of its other affiliated hospitals, and Harvard School of Public Health have launched a series of overlapping collaborations to create the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC). read more
December 2, 1999
Statement by David Nathan, M.D., concerning Leonard ZakimFrom his team of caregivers to the other staff and patients he inspired, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute mourns the loss of Lenny Zakim today. He was an incredible person in so many ways. read more
December 2, 1999
Researchers obtain first three-dimensional pictures of key phase of human immune responseThe first detailed pictures of key immune system cells locked onto fragments of a foreign substance - published in the December 3rd issue of Science by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - provide new clues about how the immune system identifies enemy threats and may even lead to a novel way of vaccinating people against diseases to which they are genetically susceptible, scientists say. read more
November 24, 1999
Social factors important in breast cancer screening decisionsWomen who perceive that regular mammography screening is a common, acceptable practice among their peers are more likely than others to get mammograms regularly, new research shows. read more
November 8, 1999
Novel drug combination destroys human tumors in mice by targeting key points in cell division process, study findsFor more than two decades, scientists have known that normal cells have a quality-control system that signals them to detect and repair genetic damage or commit suicide if that damage is irreparable. When this control system fails to function, cells carrying genetic mutations continue dividing unchecked and can eventually progress to cancer. read more
November 8, 1999
Frederick Li, M.D., receives American Cancer Society Medal of HonorFrederick P. Li, M.D., vice-chair for population sciences at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and professor of Clinical Cancer Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, has been named the winner of the 1999 Medal of Honor in Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society (ACS). read more
November 7, 1999
Brookline resident receives presidental citation from the American Psychological AssociationAndrea Farkas Patenaude, Ph.D., director, Psycho-Oncology Research in Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and assistant professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, was recently awarded the Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association (APA). read more
October 14, 1999
New chip method could improve cancer diagnosisOne of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment is choosing the right regimen for a given patient. Treatment strategies work differently for different tumors. In choosing effective treatments with minimal side effects, oncologists rely heavily on biopsy reports that diagnose the tumor type involved. read more
September 28, 1999
Enrollment process for first human study of Endostatin protein begins TuesdayThe enrollment process for the first clinical trial of EndostatinTM Protein, an angiogenesis inhibitor that seeks to reduce tumors by cutting off their blood supply, will begin Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. read more
September 8, 1999
Dana-Farber brings cancer prevention program to boston area small businessesRecognizing the significant role small businesses play in the health of the nation's economy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Center for Community-Based Research (CCBR) is embarking on an innovative work site cancer-prevention program focused on the health of employees. read more
July 28, 1999
Study opens door to treatments that short-circuit signals between tumor cells and their hostsResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have devised a new way of eavesdropping on the "molecular conversation" that exists between melanoma cancer cells and their host body - an exchange of signals that enables cancer cells to grow their own networks of blood vessels, elude attack from the immune system, and seed the body with new colonies of tumors. read more
July 21, 1999
Study offers guidelines for genetic testing for Colorectal CancerAlthough colorectal cancer rarely stems from an inherited mutation of a gene, an increasing number of clinics now offer tests for determining whether families with a history of colon cancer carry a mutation that predisposes them to the disease. read more
June 3, 1999
New technique holds promise of creating universal donor pool for transplantationIn a study with powerful implications for people needing organ and tissue transplants, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School have devised a new technique that may make transplants available to nearly everyone with a partially matched donor. read more
June 2, 1999
Use of alternative medicine found to be a marker for psychological distress in women with early stage breast cancerWomen who begin alternative medical therapies in the wake of a breast cancer diagnosis exhibit greater psychosocial distress, according to a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. read more
May 13, 1999
Studies find that genetic checkpoints against cancer are sometimes friend, sometimes foeIn a pair of studies that promise to rewrite scientists' understanding of genetic "tripwires" that kill cells before they become fully cancerous, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found that the same system that protects against cancer can, in some circumstances, actually promote cells on the road toward malignancy. read more
May 11, 1999
Researchers discover how the immune system shuts down faulty T cellsResearchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School have identified a mechanism the immune system uses to detect and eliminate dysfunctional T cells. read more
April 22, 1999
Study discloses new component of cells' built-in suicide programScientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Duke University Medical Center have uncovered a new portion of the circuitry that controls the natural death of cells - a malfunction of which may underlie diseases ranging from cancer to heart disease to autoimmune disorders. read more
April 9, 1999
Three Harvard-affiliated hospitals unite to join National Initiative on Pediatric Brain TumorsDana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital, in conjunction with Massachusetts General Hospital, have been selected as founding members of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, a National Cancer Institute-sponsored program to speed the development of innovative, technically advanced treatments for childhood brain malignancies. read more
March 30, 1999
Study provides first evidence that novel anticancer treatment can slow growth of tumor cells in patientsIn a study that points the way to a new form of cancer therapy, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School report that a drug commonly used to treat diabetes has caused tumor cells to shift to a slower-growing, less-menacing state in patients with a rare type of cancer. read more
March 5, 1999
Telomere loss spells trouble for aging miceMice lacking a gene for making telomeres-chromosomal elements with a conjectured but controversial role in aging and cancer-were found to go gray, lose hair faster, and recover less easily from the stress of surgery and chemotherapy than normal animals. read more
March 1, 1999
Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care doctors listed among top cancer specialists for women by Good Housekeeping MagazineSeventeen Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare (DF/PCC) physicians were listed among the "Top Cancer Specialists for Women" in Good Housekeeping magazine's March 1999 issue. read more
February 1, 1999
Study reaffirms danger of vaccines made from live, weakened AIDS virusIn a study that confirms warnings issued by researchers four years ago, the same researchers now report that both infant and adult monkeys vaccinated with a live, weakened form of an HIV-like virus have developed AIDS from the vaccine itself. read more
January 20, 1999
New study finds no link between high-fiber diet and reduced risk for Colorectal Cancer in womenIn a study that contradicts the conventional wisdom about the cancer-preventing effects of dietary fiber, researchers at Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women's Hospital have found no association between fiber intake and the development of colorectal (colon or rectum) cancer in women. read more
January 14, 1999
Dr. Strominger named Japan Prize LaureateDana-Farber researcher Jack L. Strominger, M.D., of Tumor Virology, was one of three U.S. scientists to be named laureates of the 1999 Japan Prize by the Science and Technology Foundation of Japan. read more
