Cancer is caused by a unique combination of genetic changes that cause cells to divide uncontrollably and invade normal tissues. According to the National Cancer Institute, these may be inherited genetic mutations, or, more likely, they occur throughout someone’s lifetime due to errors in the division of normal cells or because of DNA changes from…
Recovery footwear company OOFOS has taken major steps in the fight against cancer with their strong commitment to supporting breast cancer research at Dana-Farber. In December 2020, OOFOS crossed the one-million-dollar milestone as the company continues to blaze ahead in its dedicated partnership. OOFOS, the official recovery shoe of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund, donates…
While most cancers do not have a strong connection to hereditary risk, an important piece of cancer prevention for some is genetic counseling and testing. We spoke to two genetic counselors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Fatima Amir, MS, LGC, and Dillon Davis, MMSc, LGC, to learn more about being a genetic counselor, access to genetic…
Cancer accounts for 10 million deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), making it the second leading cause of death around the world. Of these, approximately 70 percent of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where there is often less access to treatment and fewer resources to prevent and treat…
On October 5, 2015, my OBGYN called and told me I had cervical cancer. Surreal is the best way to describe that moment. I detached from reality and remember thinking that at 30 years old, this was the end of the road for me. Sharing the news with husband, family, and friends were the worst…
“Eat cupcakes and cure cancer.” That’s the motto of 15-year-old Molly Butts. Throughout 2020, this young entrepreneur has been raising money to support cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund in a tasty way: baking and selling cupcakes for a cause she believes in. Since September, Molly has baked over…
Kat Howell never considered herself part of the one percent. But when the 29-year-old was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2019, she became just that. A rare disease accounting for only one percent of all cancer cases in the United States on an annual basis, tongue cancer is even less common among young people like…
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is committed to reducing the burden of cancer in medically underserved communities. Our Blum Family Resource Center Van is a centerpiece of this commitment—bringing Dana-Farber expertise and services, free of charge, directly to people in the communities and neighborhoods where they live and work. The Blum Van focuses its efforts in two…
Toward the end of 2019, Lucía, a mom of two, began experiencing significant stomach pain. She couldn’t eat. When she did eat, she would throw up. She lost weight and generally felt awful. Eventually, the day after Christmas, she ended up in the emergency room, where, after some tests, she and her husband, José Vicente,…
Since a young age, golf has been a constant companion in Cathy Burgess’ life. The Andover, Mass., native played competitively with her mother, even winning a Massachusetts mother-daughter tournament, before going on to captain the women’s golf team at Boston College. It was a core part of her life until 2012, when abdominal pain and…