In search of new solutions
In this issue of Turning Point, we are excited to announce that Dana- Farber and its affiliated hospitals and schools received a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant to study ovarian cancer. DFCI is one of only five organizations nationally to be funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for research on early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this dangerous disease.
J.Dirk Iglehart, MD
Another article describes the difficulties faced by women who develop breast cancer at age 40 or younger. Although breast cancer is unusual in this age group, the Women's Cancers Program at Dana- Farber sees more than its share of young women stricken by this disease. A new initiative to improve care for these patients will be led by Drs. Ann Partridge and Eric Winer, including novel research on the biological differences between breast cancers in younger and older women.
We then turn to the very promising work of Dr. Kornelia Polyak and her colleagues at the Dana- Farber and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Under her leadership, this group is probing the communication between breast cancer cells and normal breast cells that surround them. They are finding that these "normal" cells contribute to the progression of the cancer. One example is angiogenesis: noncancerous blood vessel cells outside the tumor that help nourish the cancer.
At the end of our magazine, we discuss a new class of anti-estrogens that are making news because of their effectiveness in preventing recurrences of breast cancer, as well as their surprising safety and tolerability. These drugs are called aromatase inhibitors because they block the enzyme (aromatase) that catalyzes the production of estrogen in both men and women.
We hope you will find these stories informative and that you will come away with a greater understanding of our work here in the Women's Cancers Program.
J. Dirk Iglehart, MD
Director, Women's Cancer Program
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Chief, Surgical Oncology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
