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WHY WE'RE FUNDRAISING WITH THE JIMMY FUND WALK TO FIGHT CANCER
Douglas Rubinson, MD, PhD is a medical oncologist and researcher in the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In order to provide the most advanced and personalized care to his patients, Dr. Rubinson and his team study patient blood and tumor samples (with permission) to examine molecular and genetic alterations that may signal a ”driver” event for their cancer. Studying individual tumors in this way helps Dr. Rubinson and his colleagues understand how normal cells transform into cancer cells and how to develop better drugs to treat them. Ultimately, he seeks to match the right drug to the right patient to truly personalize care.
Recently, Dr. Rubinson and his colleagues studied the DNA of nearly 300 patients with pancreatic cancer to determine the prevalence of hereditary gene alternations that are known to cause pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to determine if clinicians should test all patients with pancreatic cancer for these inherited gene alterations, regardless of age or family history. Their findings showed that nearly 10 percent of all patients with pancreatic cancer had an inherited gene alteration that may have played a role in their development of pancreatic cancer. The results of this study played a key role in changing the national guidelines for genetic testing in pancreatic cancer, which now recommend genetic testing for all patients with pancreatic cancer, regardless of their age or family history. This testing could help investigators identify new treatment options for patients, while also identifying families who are at risk of developing the disease and who should likewise undergo genetic testing.
Philanthropic support enables Dr. Rubinson and his team to conduct innovative studies such as the above that aim to learn more about the biology and genetic make-up of gastrointestinal cancers in order to better prevent, detect, and treat them. Your gift directly supports Dr. Rubinson’s research. You may make a secure online gift on this page, or if you prefer to send a check, please direct it to:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Division of Philanthropy & The Jimmy Fund
Attn: Giving Pages
10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor
Brookline, MA 02445
THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM MEMBERS
= Team CaptainTHANK YOU TO OUR TEAM DONORS
