Jan 4, 2018

The CDH1 gene mutation elevates an individual’s lifetime risk of developing stomach cancer to 60-70 percent. Total gastrectomy, or complete removal of the stomach, is a preventive option for persons with this anomaly. After receiving a positive result for the gene mutation at age 40, David Fogel began researching his options and decided to enroll in a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health led by Jeremy Davis, M.D., Staff Clinician in the Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch. As part of the trial, which aims to study the effects of stomach removal for patients with the CDH1 gene mutation, Fogel had his stomach removed in October 2017. In a recent interview with Washington’s NBC4, Fogel discussed life without a stomach with a fellow Maryland resident who also underwent a total gastrectomy after testing positive for the CDH1 mutation. Watch the video here. 

Jan 4, 2018

Individuals with the CDH1 gene mutation have an increased risk of developing stomach cancer. Over the last two decades, total gastrectomy, or removal of the stomach, has become an extreme preventive option for those with the CDH1 mutation. After testing positive for the mutation at age 40, David Fogel began researching his options and decided to enroll in a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health led by Jeremy Davis, M.D., Staff Clinician in the Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch. As part of the trial, which aims to study the effects of stomach removal for patients with the CDH1 gene mutation, Fogel had his stomach completely removed in October 2017. Now months later, Fogel is in high spirits and has no regrets. Read the full story here.

Dec 7, 2017

In a recent article from Everyday Health, Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn, Senior Editor of Oncology, details cancer trends in diagnosis, stages, treatment and survival rates. DeVita was one of 12 journalists selected by the Association of Health Care Journalists to attend a week-long reporting fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in November 2017 to learn about the latest cancer research and participate in guided tours of NCI wards and labs. Her “Cancer Special Report 2017” discusses the latest immunology work of Steven Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Surgery Branch, and Stephanie Goff, M.D., Staff Clinician in the Surgery Branch, gene-expression profiling technique of Louis Staudt, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Chief of the Lymphoid Malignancies Branch, and new Cancer Moonshot efforts to address rare cancers, spearheaded by Mark Gilbert, M.D., Chief of the Neuro-Oncology Branch. Read the full story…

Dec 4, 2017

On Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, NIH Foregut Team members presented information and answered questions during a webinar on stomach cancer treatment options. Jeremy Davis, M.D., Staff Clinician in the CCR Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch, and Theo Heller, M.D., Senior Investigator in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, joined David Fogel, a recent total gastrectomy patient, to discuss the latest advancements in treatment. The webinar, “Navigating New Treatment Options for Gastric Cancer: Reaching above and beyond the standard of care,” was facilitated by the NIH Clinical Center and Inspire, a social network for health that connects patients and caregivers in a safe, permission-based manner. Access the recorded webinar.

Nov 17, 2017

"Where else can you make such a profound difference not only for the individual now, but for those who come in the future? It is hard work, good work and worth doing well.” Physician Assistant Julia Friend answers our questions about why she loves working for CCR. Read more...

Oct 26, 2017

Decades ago, the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells as an effective form of immunotherapy was a speculative idea. In 2010, a breakthrough clinical trial conducted by Steven Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., and his clinical team showed that CAR T cells recognizing the CD19 receptor were useful in the treatment of some types of B-cell malignancies. Read more...

Oct 17, 2017

Daniel Webster, Ph.D., a former fellow at CCR, has been named a 2017 STAT Wunderkind for the development of “Mole Mapper” — an app that catalogs potentially cancerous moles and helps those at risk of skin cancer effectively communicate with researchers and clinicians. STAT News, a publication produced by Boston Globe Media, annually selects 26 young scientists as “wunderkinds” in recognition of their efforts to answer some of the biggest questions in medicine. According to STAT, “Over the past several months, a team of STAT editors and reporters pored through nearly 300 nominations from across North America. We didn’t set an age limit; we were on the hunt for the most impressive doctors and researchers on the cusp of launching their careers but not yet fully independent. Most were postdocs, fellows, and biopharma employees working with more senior scientists.” Dr. Webster currently works at Sage Bionetworks. 

Sep 26, 2017

On Monday, September 18, 2017, the second annual Chasing Cancer Summit was held at the Washington Post headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. The live event brought together a group of experts, including CCR’s Douglas Lowy, M.D., and Nirali Shah, M.D., for discussions on the latest developments in cancer detection and treatment.  Read more...

Aug 18, 2017

Believe it or not, camp was a favorite part of summer for Nesma Aly from 2008 to 2016. When Nesma was nine months old she was diagnosed with osteopetrosis, a rare congenital disorder in which bones become prone to break easily due to an imbalance in bone formation and breakdown. Camp Fantastic is distinctive in that it provides a normal camping experience for a unique group: children between the ages of 7 and 19 who are undergoing cancer treatment presently or in the last three years, or a bone marrow transplant in the last five years. The 2017 Camp Fantastic session runs August 13-19.  Read more...

Aug 11, 2017

After a summer of hard work, over 250 NCI summer interns presented their cancer research on August 10, 2017, at the NIH annual Summer Intern Poster Day. Part of the NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research, students were placed across NCI and other institutes to further their education and develop valuable skills in biomedical technology. NIH offers several summer internship opportunities to students of various educational backgrounds and interests.