Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The 5th annual Nursing and Patient Care Services (NPCS) Preceptor Breakfast celebrated the dedication of staff committed to training new employees. Over the past year, more than 450 NPCS staff members served as preceptors in roles including clinical assistants, nurse practitioners, and staff nurses. Preceptors create a safe, welcoming environment where questions are encouraged and learning is supported. They are essential partners in advancing the excellent clinical care patients experience. “While we hosted an appreciation breakfast to celebrate our preceptors, we value them every day. Their guidance turns orientation into readiness—building connection, confidence, and clinical skill,” says Jeanine Rundquist, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Vice President & Associate Chief Nurse, Center for Clinical and Professional Development. “We could not orient our new staff without their dedication and support.”

“Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are living longer and living better. We are advancing into a greatly needed new era in pancreatic cancer treatment.” — Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, director of the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research Nearly 95% of pancreatic cancers carry RAS gene mutations that drive tumor growth—and new drugs that target RAS are showing promise in clinical trials. These RAS inhibitors are paving the way for new treatments that could improve long-term outcomes for patients all around the world. Advancements in pancreatic cancer care and research have been fueled by the generosity of Dana-Farber Trustee Judith B. Hale and members of her family, Rob and Karen Hale, and Beth and Rich Kendall. Their philanthropy supports our researchers in their efforts to advance early detection and develop new treatments for patients in Boston and around the world. Thanks to the work in the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, we are learning more about and advancing new treatments for pancreatic cancer every day.

As a child, Paolo Tarantino, MD, PhD, used to travel the world to attend scientific conferences with his father – those trips sparked his curiosity and passion for science and medicine. “I loved that world as a kid and, to this day,” says Tarantino, an advanced fellow in the Breast Oncology Center. “My father would take me to the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting in Chicago, and I would get lost in the medical acronyms, and in the labyrinthic McCormick (I still do, sometimes). Yet, those early congress experiences did light up something in me – a spark that would turn into a fire later in life.” After completing his medical studies at the University of Naples Federico II, Tarantino wanted to help unlock unknown areas in biology and cancer, leading him to complete a medical oncology fellowship and a PhD in clinical research at the University of Milan. “I had the chance to work with breast cancer expert Giuseppe Curigliano, who was my mentor in Milan. Working by his side meant being involved in multiple early-phase trials with innovative drugs, some of which have resulted in tremendous advancements in cancer care over the last decade. However, one class of drugs ignited my interest more than any other, given its fascinating complexity and tremendous promise: antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)”. Tarantino’s work on ADC trials helped shape his trajectory in oncology, leading to a commitment to improving outcomes for metastatic breast cancer through the development of better ADCs and innovative biomarkers. “At that point, I realized that one cancer center was the epicenter of a lot of the innovation in ADCs for treating breast cancer. At the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, was conducting adjuvant trials of T-DM1 for the curative treatment of HER2+ breast cancer, and multiple additional studies testing novel ADCs were ongoing or being planned. A powerful magnetic force attracted me to Boston in 2021, where I had the opportunity to start a research fellowship in the Breast Oncology Division of Dana-Farber.” Tarantino has dedicated himself to both clinical and translational efforts, developing and leading clinical trials with ADCs. These efforts allowed him to chair the ADC session at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in 2024, and at the ESMO - European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2025. “We’re at a turning point in the development of ADCs. After proving that they can help extend the survival of patients with metastatic disease, ADCs are now showing the potential to cure early-stage cancers. It’s a brave new world, full of hope.” “It’s rare in life to end up doing exactly what you dreamed of,” Tarantino says. “Yet somehow my research dreams came true — and I couldn’t be more grateful for the mentoring, sponsorship, and support that made this possible.”

Congratulations to Richard Stone, MD, who has been named the 2025 recipient of the Richard L. Schilsky Cancer and Leukemia Group B Achievement Award by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation. This award honors individuals who have shaped the Alliance into a stronger organization, either through past leadership or other contributions. Stone is recognized for his significant contributions as an extraordinary clinician, researcher, mentor, and teacher.

Jacqueline Garcia, MD, is exploring ongoing clinical research to test novel triplet therapies for safety and efficacy with a precision medicine approach for patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Explore the latest updates: https://bit.ly/3JNgD1M

We have been awarded an extraordinary $20 million grant to advance metastatic breast cancer research from the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation. “We’re grateful to the Saverin Family for their incredible contributions to our metastatic breast cancer research program and infrastructure which will significantly impact the productivity and success of our work in late-stage breast cancer,” said Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, chief of the division of breast oncology. This grant will allow us to focus on therapeutic innovation across key areas in metastatic breast cancer including: - Optimizing clinical trials to identify biomarkers of response and resistance and rapidly translate promising preclinical strategies into patient studies. - Continuing the Saverin Research Awards to seed the most innovative investigations in metastatic breast cancer led by Dana-Farber physician-scientists. - Expanding resources and infrastructure to integrate and analyze clinical, genomic, and imaging from more than 20,000 patients and counting. - Harnessing AI to predict outcomes, personalize therapies, understand tumor-immune interactions, and identify resistance mechanisms. - Advancing liquid diagnostics to detect early recurrence and personalize therapy in metastatic settings. To learn more about the impacts of the Saverin Foundation’s grant, visit: https://bit.ly/4p562yS

Please join us in congratulating Christopher Lathan MD, MS, MPH, FASCO, as the recipient of this year's Arthur T. Skarin Award on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists. Lathan is recognized for his profound and enduring effect on the field – his expertise and dedication have not only made a significant impact on the lives of countless individuals but have also greatly contributed to the advancement of oncology as a whole.

Earlier this month, Betsy O’Donnell, MD, attended the Murtha Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention Symposium at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where she presented on Early Cancer Detection and Interception to military service members, physicians, and clinical team members. This visit was part of an exciting networking collaboration that allows our medical oncologists to meet in person with their peers at Walter Reed to exchange knowledge and expertise.

A stem cell transplant is a powerful treatment for blood cancers and other blood disorders. The goal of a stem cell transplant is always the same: to cure the disease or significantly extend a patient’s life. At Dana-Farber, every step is guided by decades of expertise, from collecting and processing stem cells to infusion. During this time, patients and their cells travel parallel journeys before being reunited. Learn more: https://bit.ly/47DdDOA

The FDA has approved sevabertinib, an oral targeted therapy for adult patients with non-small-cell lung cancer whose tumors harbor certain HER2 mutations and who have previously received chemotherapy or immunotherapy. This approval was backed by a multi-year research collaboration with colleagues at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. “I continue to be very grateful for the remarkable research environment here at Dana-Farber with amazing colleagues and trainees, our emphasis on the full continuum of basic and translational and clinical cancer research, and also our openness to collaboration with the Broad across the decades that has made this research possible,” said Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics, professor of genetics and medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School, and an institute member at the Broad Institute. Learn more: https://bit.ly/49Q2vjd