A new analysis led by physicians at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, published in JAMA Network Open, shows that some patients with small node-negative breast tumors that test positive for both the hormone receptor (HR) and ERBB2, also known as HER2/neu, proteins could benefit from chemotherapy in addition to surgery, radiation and endocrine therapy.

While it has long been thought that locally-delivered radiation therapy typically does not help to shrink tumors outside the field of irradiation, new preclinical research from a team at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests a strategy for significantly increasing both the local and distant, or “abscopal,” effects of radiation.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center plans to offer convalescent plasma — in this case, plasma from the donated blood of healthy individuals who have had COVID-19 but have now fully recovered and cleared the virus from their bodies — to patients with severe or life-threatening COVID-19 through an expanded access program authorized by the U.S. FDA.

Our patients and their loved ones have many questions about cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every Friday, our experts will host webinars to help provide answers on a variety of topics.