Press Releases
2001
December 3, 2001
Scientists using gene chips identify a unique form of leukemiaDana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have discovered that a rare but lethal blood cancer that strikes infants in their first year is a genetically distinct type of leukemia that might someday be treatable with designer drugs specifically targeted to it. read more
November 26, 2001
New study provides mixed report card on Informed Consent to Cancer Clinical TrialsWhile most cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials understand the primary purpose of the research, nearly one quarter of the participants do not realize that clinical trials are conducted mainly to benefit future patients, not themselves. read more
November 14, 2001
Dana-Farber and News Reports About 714-xIf you are curious about 714-x, or if a family member or friend has cancer and you are trying to decide on a course of treatment, please keep several things in mind: read more
November 13, 2001
Gene chips bring new order to lung cancer types, could yield sharper diagnoses, better drugsUsing miniaturized chips that make snapshots of the activity of thousands of genes at once, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have divided lung cancers into new categories based on their gene functions rather than the cells' appearance under a microscope. read more
November 13, 2001
Immune system discovery may lead to preventive therapy for diabetesBy manipulating a cell that controls the immune system's response to infections, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and their colleagues have prevented the onset of diabetes in mice predisposed to the disease. The finding one day may lead to the development of a preventive therapy for people at risk for type 1 diabetes. read more
November 9, 2001
James B. Conway, Dana-Farber COO, wins National Patient Safety Leadership AwardJames B. Conway, senior vice president and chief operations officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has been named the winner of the first Individual Leadership Award in Patient Safety by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The honor was presented to Conway today at the JCAHO's annual national conference on quality and safety in healthcare in Chicago. read more
November 8, 2001
November is national marrow awareness monthShare the gift of life with one of the many cancer patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. November is National Marrow Awareness month and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is encouraging people to volunteer as bone marrow and stem cell donors. read more
October 23, 2001
Ty Law and New England Patriots team up with Dana-Farber to promote blood platelet donationNew England Patriots starting cornerback Ty Law and the New England Patriots announced today that they are teaming up with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to increase public awareness about the need for blood platelet donation. read more
October 16, 2001
Dana-Farber wins Mass. Interactive Media Council's top honor for healthcare web sitesThe Massachusetts Interactive Media Council (MIMC) has named the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Web site as the winner of the 2001 MIMC Vertical Award in the healthcare category. read more
October 15, 2001
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute holiday cards 2001 on sale nowThis holiday season, send a card that brings hope for the future as well as warm wishes for the holidays. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 2001 Holiday Cards offer original designs produced by patients, staff, and friends of Dana-Farber. read more
September 27, 2001
Dana-Farber launches new web sites, adds more information and enhances accessibilityDana-Farber Cancer Institute has launched two new Web sites to provide people with extensive, up-to-date information about cancer research and treatment, and to make it easier to support the development of new therapies at Dana-Farber. read more
September 12, 2001
Finding of key blood sugar controller could yield new diabetes drugsDana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers have discovered the long-sought molecular "switch" that regulates the liver's production of glucose, the sugar that fuels the brain but which builds up dangerously in the bloodstream of diabetics because this switch doesn't turn off. The researchers say it may be possible to design new drug treatments for diabetes as a result of the work. read more
September 10, 2001
AIDS virus's ability to mimic other infections weakens the body's defenses against diseaseNew, three-dimensional images from researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute provide the fullest picture yet of how the AIDS virus blunts the immune system's ability to mount an attack against infections and cancer. read more
August 21, 2001
Drug hits new molecular target in mice, shrinks hard-to-treat "estrogen receptor-negative" breast cancersAbout 30 percent of the 180,000 breast cancers diagnosed each year are not fueled by the estrogen in a woman's body, so estrogen-blocking treatments like the drug tamoxifen do not affect them. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers report that in a mouse study, such "estrogen receptor-negative'' breast tumors were halted and shrunk by an experimental drug aimed at a new target in the cancer cells. read more
July 25, 2001
New consortium aims to reduce tobacco's toll on working familiesDana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Massachusetts Lowell today announced a new national partnership between labor unions and tobacco control groups to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke among working families. The Consortium on Organized Labor and Tobacco Control (COLT) was established with a $1.6-million grant from the American Legacy Foundation. read more
July 20, 2001
Dana-Farber ranked New England's best cancer hospital-fourth in the nation-in U.S. News and World Report's best hospitals guide
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has once again been rated the best cancer hospital in New England and the fourth best in the nation by U.S. News and World Report's read more
June 2, 2001
Study discovers a way to keep infants safe from second-hand smokeUsing a form of counseling aimed at motivating rather than preaching, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute helped smokers reduce by nearly one-third the amount of dangerous second-hand smoke their young children were exposed to, according to a new study. read more
May 11, 2001
Study finds two-drug combination has effect against form of advanced breast cancerA combination of two drugs - one a recent addition to the anti-cancer arsenal, the other a mainstay chemotherapy agent - can have a substantial effect against tumors in women with advanced breast cancer while causing few side effects, according to a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital. read more
April 14, 2001
International collaboration announces results of Gleevec trial for rare form of abdominal cancer known as GISTAn international team of researchers will report on Monday that a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week for its striking success against chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) can also benefit the majority of patients with a rare and otherwise incurable form of gastrointestinal cancer. read more
April 4, 2001
Oral therapy for leukemia can treat an otherwise incurable form of abdominal cancerA drug that made national headlines for its success against chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has shrunk and even eliminated some tumors in a patient with a rare and otherwise incurable form of gastrointestinal cancer, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and collaborators in Finland and at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) report in the April 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. read more
February 28,2001
Patients are more optimistic than their physicians regarding the success of bone marrow transplantationPatients with leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers who choose to undergo bone marrow transplantation often overestimate the success rate of the procedure according to a study published in the February 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). read more
February 15, 2001
Scientists discover "missing link" between rare disease and inherited forms of breast cancerScientists following the gene trail of one of the world's rarest diseases have found it leads to an entirely unexpected place - to BRCA1, a gene that, when defective, is the most common source of inherited breast cancer. read more
January 21, 2001
Study finds long-term fertility problems in men who received chemotherapy for cancer during childhoodIn a study reflecting the growing interest in the long-term effects of cancer treatment, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital, Boston, have found that boys treated with high doses of chemotherapy are likely to experience fertility problems as adults. read more
