Cancer Research | Penn Today

A Black woman standing at a mammogram machine with a mammogram technician in the foreground.

Black women face increased risk of triple negative breast cancers

An analysis of nearly 200,000 patients highlights the heterogeneity of breast cancer risk factors for women of differing races, ages, and disease subtypes.

Lab with vials of tissue samples in foreground, microscope in back.

Penn Medicine and Wistar awarded $11.7 million melanoma research grant

The Specialized Programs of Research Excellence, or SPORE, grant from the National Cancer Institute will fund three new melanoma research projects over five years.

microscopic rendering of three solid tumors being attacked by CAR T cells.

Engineering CAR T cells to activate a bodily response to solid tumors

A new Penn study shows that CAR T cells expressing RN7SL1, a naturally occurring RNA, can activate the body’s natural immune cells against difficult-to-treat cancers.

Patient and doctor wearing masks, one wearing a gown about to get a mammogram.

Breast cancer diagnosis in the ‘between’ year: Body mass index matters

While breast density—a characteristic that can help tumors hide from mammography—has attracted a lot of attention from clinicians, a new study finds evidence that body mass index, or BMI, is also important, especially in the year between screenings.

John Glick standing with arms crossed in a white lab coat.

The cancer fighters: John Glick and a legacy of a half century in oncology

A major figure in the fight against cancer, John Glick reflects on his career after decades of working with the Perelman School of Medicine and as director of Penn’s National Cancer Institute for more than 20 years, treating thousands of patients during his tenure.

Screen capture of 11 participants in a Zoom call.

New program inspires underrepresented young women to cancer research

The Abramson Cancer Center’s Summer Health Experience, or SHE, program introduces young women to careers in cancer research. Statistics show that Black and Latinx women are severely underrepresented in the health sciences.

cancer patient in bed looking out window

Improving patient experiences in cancer clinical trials

Cancer clinical trials (CCTs) provide patients an opportunity to receive experimental drugs, tests, and/or procedures that can lead to remissions. For some, a CCT may seem like their only option. Yet little is known about the experiences of patient participants who withdraw from CCTs.

Penn-led consortium identifies more genetic markers for inherited testicular cancer

A new meta-analysis of nearly 200,000 men revealed 22 new genetic locations that could be susceptible to inherited testicular germ cell tumors—an increase of 40%.

microscopic rendering of a virus cell next to a t cell.

Clarifying T cell ‘exhaustion’

T cells, which are among the most powerful weapons in the immune systems of humans and other vertebrates, remain substantially programmed to stay exhausted even many weeks after exposure to a virus ended.

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