cancer

​In a world’s first, physicians at Siteman Cancer Center have begun treating patients using MRI-guided radiation therapy, a technology that allows tumors to be visualized during treatment. Shown is Wayne Kestler, 80, one of the first patients treated with the new technology.

The S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center at Washington University Medical Center has begun treating patients with cancer near vital organs such as the spine, brain, heart and eyes. The center is the only one within 225 miles that offers proton therapy, a highly accurate radiation treatment.

Elaine Mardis, co-director of The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is featured in Discover magazine’s “100 Top Stories of 2013,” for her pioneering work in cancer genomics.

In search of better cancer treatments, Xiaowei Wang, PhD, and his colleagues at the School of Medicine have designed synthetic molecules that combine the advantages of two experimental RNA therapies.

Fighting cancer requires a team of medical experts. But for many patients, another key team member is a licensed clinical psychologist. Siteman Counseling Service at Siteman Cancer Center provides free therapy to help patients cope. Pictured is patient Eileen Garofalo (left) with Amanda Kracen, PhD, one of the service’s three licensed psychologists.

School of Medicine researchers studying how cancer spreads into bone have made a surprising discovery that suggests several investigational anti-cancer therapies just entering the drug-development pipeline may not have the desired effect. The study indicates that the drugs inadvertently may promote cancer.

Scientists at the School of Medicine have identified a biological marker that may help predict overall survival of people with deadly brain tumors. The marker is made by noncancerous cells known as monocytes (pictured in brown).

By analyzing the DNA in more than 3,000 tumors, scientists led by Li Ding, PhD, at The Genome Institute have identified 127 repeatedly mutated genes that likely drive the growth of a range of cancers in the body. The discovery sets the stage for devising new diagnostic tools and more personalized cancer treatments.

Cancer cells’ appetite for sugar may have serious consequences for immune cell function. Scientists have shown that in low-sugar environments immune T cells start using energy-making structures known as mitochondria (highlighted in this image in yellow and orange). This switch can prevent T cells from making an inflammatory compound important for fighting cancers and some infections.

Those interested in participating in a national study to help the American Cancer Society understand how lifestyle, genetics and the environment affect cancer may enroll in the study April 30 or May 1 on the Washington University Medical Campus.