BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes, meaning when they function normally their job is to keep tumors from forming. Some people however, have an altered or mutated copy of the gene and certain mutations are associated with an increased risk for several cancer types, including breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, melanoma, and in some families, colorectal.
One of the biggest challenges in treating ovarian cancer is the fact that most women are not diagnosed until the cancer has already advanced and five-year survival is around 30%. By contrast, early-stage disease is highly treatable, with a survival rate of 90%.
Your skin can be the site of a type of cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), which can look like eczema or psoriasis, causing scaly or itchy lesions and plaques that cause irritation.
Even if you already have cancer, you can’t let down your guard when it comes to prevention. In fact, cancer patients have even more reason to be on guard, because they usually have a higher risk for infection or developing other types of cancer.
In an effort to stop the tobacco industry from targeting younger generations, the U.S. government took aim at youth vaping early this year, banning some e-cigarette flavors — like mint and fruit flavors.
In 2019, Pamela Hershberger, PhD, came upon a stunningly significant finding in her research lab. Dr. Hershberger, Associate Professor of Oncology in Roswell Park’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, says she and her team had been “studying patients with a particular type of lung cancer — EGFR mutant lung cancer — and their response to a specific class of drugs called EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Wendy already knew how hard it is to fight cancer: She was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly six years ago. Although she knew she was getting the best care possible, she was still nervous and scared about going through treatment a second time and having to get a bone marrow transplant.