Dana–Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is a comprehensive
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
treatment and research center in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. Dana-Farber is the founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard's
Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...
, and one of the 15 clinical affiliates and research institutes of
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
.
As of 2024, Dana-Farber is ranked the #6 cancer hospital in the US.
Two
Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine are among its past and present faculty.
In 2024, an investigation revealed evidence of
research misconduct
Scientific misconduct is the violation of the standard codes of scholarly conduct and ethical behavior in the publication of professional scientific research. It is the violation of scientific integrity: violation of the scientific method and ...
in dozens of studies authored by Dana-Farber researchers, including then
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
and
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
Laurie Glimcher, the
Executive Vice President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
and
COO, and the
Research Integrity Officer.
In response to these findings, Dana-Farber
retracted 7 papers
and corrected 31 others.
In October 2024,
Laurie Glimcher stepped down as President and CEO.
Overview
Dana–Farber employs more than 4,855 full-time and part-time workers, 529 faculty, and has annual gross revenues of about $1,733,386,000. All faculty and postdoctoral research fellows at Dana–Farber hold the equivalent academic positions concurrently at Harvard University. There are more than 523,425 adult and pediatric patient visits (combined exam and office visits) a year, and it is involved in more than 1,000 clinical trials. It is internationally known for its research and clinical excellence. Expertscape ranks its programs in aplastic anemia
and multiple myeloma
as best in the world. It has been also ranked overall the fifth best cancer hospital in the United States by ''
U.S. News & World Report''. Dana–Farber is a member of the
Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium.
In addition to being a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Dana–Farber is also a federally-designated Center for AIDS Research, and is a founding member of the Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), a research consortium that is one of the 39 federally-designated
Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Providing advanced training in cancer treatment and research for an international faculty, Dana–Farber conducts community-based programs in cancer prevention, detection, and control in New England, and maintains joint programs with other Boston institutions, including
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center,
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH or The Brigham) is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two ...
,
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2013) is the main pediatric training and research hospital of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. It is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children ...
, and
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is a teaching hospital located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the original and largest clinical education and research facility of Harvard Medical School/Harvar ...
.
Dana–Farber is supported by the
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...
, the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, ) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. NIAID's mis ...
, and private foundations and individuals contributions.
The Jimmy Fund
The Jimmy Fund, established in Boston in 1948, is made up of community-based fundraising events and other programs that benefit Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since 1948, millions of people have given money to the ...
is the principal charity of the Institute named for one of its child patients. The
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
adopted the Jimmy Fund as its official charity in 1953 and continues to prominently sponsor the charity.
Benjamin L. Ebert is President/CEO of Dana–Farber Cancer Institute.
In 2015, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' listed the charity as the 37th biggest in the U.S.
History
In 1947,
pediatric
Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...
pathologist
Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...
Sidney Farber
Sidney Farber (September 30, 1903 – March 30, 1973) was an American pediatric pathologist at Boston Children's Hospital. He is regarded as the father of modern chemotherapy for his work using folic acid antagonists to combat leukemia, which l ...
founded the Children's Cancer Research Foundation (CCRF) with
Variety Club to raise money for cancer research. The foundation launched the
Jimmy Fund the following year with an advertising campaign featuring a child nicknamed "Jimmy",
and constructed the Jimmy Fund Building in the
Longwood Medical Area in 1952 to house research facilities.
In 1969, the Foundation expanded their programs to include patients of all ages, and in 1974 was renamed the Sidney Farber Cancer Center.
In 1962, philanthropist
Charles A. Dana, through the
Dana Foundation, began financial support of the CCRF. The Dana Building was opened near the Jimmy Fund building in 1975, and, in 1983, the organization's name was changed to Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in recognition of the foundation's support.
In 1997, the Smith Research Laboratories building was opened across the street from the Dana Building and the
inpatient hospital was moved to
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH or The Brigham) is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two ...
, freeing up space for research, laboratories, and adult outpatient care.
The Yawkey Center for Cancer Care was opened adjacent to the Smith Laboratories in 2011 to provide additional outpatient facilities.
In September 2023, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute announced a new partnership with
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and one of the founding members of Beth Israel Lahey Health. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital (f ...
and plans to build a new standalone inpatient hospital focused on treating adult cancer patients. This includes a departure from their current home and longtime affiliation with Brigham and Women's Hospital, which had been recognized among U.S. News & World Report's top cancer care facilities for 23 consecutive years.
Breakthroughs
Dana–Farber has a long history of breakthrough discoveries in cancer care and research.
* 1947: Sidney Farber leads a team of researchers who are the first in the world to attain temporary remissions of
acute lymphocytic leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the lymphoid line of blood cells characterized by the development of large numbers of immature lymphocytes. Symptoms may include feeling tired, pale skin color, fever, easy bleeding or brui ...
, the most common cancer in children, using
aminopterin
Aminopterin (or 4-aminopteroic acid), the 4–amino derivative of folic acid, is an antineoplastic drug with immunosuppressive properties often used in chemotherapy. Aminopterin is a synthetic derivative of pterin. Aminopterin works as an enzyme ...
. This, and another
antifolate drug,
methotrexate
Methotrexate, formerly known as amethopterin, is a chemotherapy agent and immunosuppressive drug, immune-system suppressant. It is used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and ectopic pregnancy, ectopic pregnancies. Types of cancers it is u ...
used by Dr. Farber, were discovered and supplied by Dr.
Yellapragada Subba Rao, Director, Research at Lederle Co. at Pearl River, NY.
* 1954: Farber and his colleagues achieve the first remissions of
Wilms' tumor
Wilms' tumor or Wilms tumor, also known as nephroblastoma, is a cancer of the kidneys that typically occurs in children (rarely in adults), and occurs most commonly as a renal tumor in child patients. It is named after Max Wilms, the German sur ...
, a common form of childhood cancer, and boost cure rates from 40 percent to 85 percent.
* 1976: Researchers at the Sidney Farber Cancer Center (now Dana–Farber) develop a new treatment for
acute myelogenous leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production. Symptoms may includ ...
that produces the first complete remissions of the disease in up to half of all patients.
* 1978: Institute investigators develop combination chemotherapy for soft-tissue
sarcoma
A sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that arises from cells of mesenchymal origin. Originating from mesenchymal cells means that sarcomas are cancers of connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, or vascular tissues.
Sarcom ...
s resulting in a 50-percent response rate.
* 1980: Dana–Farber president
Baruj Benacerraf receives the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...
for the discovery of the
major histocompatibility complex
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a large Locus (genetics), locus on vertebrate DNA containing a set of closely linked polymorphic genes that code for Cell (biology), cell surface proteins essential for the adaptive immune system. The ...
, which enables the immune system to recognize
antigens
In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule, moiety, foreign particulate matter, or an allergen, such as pollen, that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune response.
An ...
.
* 1982: Dana–Farber researchers develop and apply the
CA-125
Mucin-16 (MUC-16) also known as Ovarian cancer-related tumor marker CA125 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MUC16'' gene. MUC-16 is a member of the mucin family glycoproteins. MUC-16 has found application as a tumor marker or biom ...
blood test for
ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
. They also are among the first to suspect a relationship between the retrovirus that causes
human T-cell leukemia (HTLV-1) and that which causes
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
(
HIV-1
The subtypes of HIV include two main subtypes, known as HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV type 2 (HIV-2). These subtypes have distinct genetic differences and are associated with different epidemiological patterns and clinical characteristics.
HIV-1 e ...
).
* 1991: Dana–Farber investigators help introduce the use of naturally occurring
growth hormone
Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in ...
s following high-dose chemotherapy, making
bone marrow transplantation
Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood, in order to replicate inside a patient and produce a ...
safer and more effective.
* 1993: Dana–Farber investigators discover the gene that increases the risk for a common type of
colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...
. The
''MSH2'' gene and later the
''MLH1'' gene (also by DFCI investigators) are linked to hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (
HNPCC
Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is a hereditary predisposition to colon cancer.
HNPCC includes (and was once synonymous with) Lynch syndrome, an autosomal dominant genetic condition that is associated with a high risk of colon ...
).
* 1996: Institute researchers dramatically advance the understanding of how HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, replicates and infects healthy cells. ''Science'' magazine heralds this discovery as its "Breakthrough of the Year".
* 1998: A drug called
imatinib
Imatinib, sold under the brand names Gleevec and Glivec (both marketed worldwide by Novartis) among others, is an oral targeted therapy medication used to treat cancer. Imatinib is a small molecule inhibitor targeting multiple tyrosine kinases ...
(Gleevec), the early work for which was done at Dana–Farber , achieves striking success in many patients with
chronic myelogenous leukemia
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the white blood cells. It is a form of leukemia characterized by the increased and unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and the accumula ...
.
* 1999: Working with colleagues at other hospitals, Dana–Farber scientists begin the first human studies of
endostatin, one of a new generation of compounds that arrest or shrink tumors by shutting off their blood supply.
* 2002: Dana–Farber researchers find that Gleevec, a targeted therapy that achieved striking success against chronic myelogenous leukemia, can shrink and even eliminate tumors in some patients with a rare and otherwise incurable digestive-tract cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
* 2003: Scientists at Dana–Farber and the
Whitehead Institute
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research is a non-profit research institute located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States that is dedicated to improving human health through basic biomedical research. It was founded as a fiscally indep ...
find a gene "signature" in several types of tumors that suggests they are likely to spread to other parts of the body, potentially leading to tests for determining whether tumors have the potential to metastasize.
* 2005: Dana–Farber scientists report that the drug
gefitinib
Gefitinib, sold under the brand name Iressa, is a medication used for certain breast, lung and other cancers. Gefitinib is an EGFR inhibitor, like erlotinib, which interrupts signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in targe ...
(Iressa) produces dramatic benefits in
non-small cell lung cancer
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), or non-small-cell lung carcinoma, is any type of epithelial lung cancer other than small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC accounts for about 85% of all lung cancers. As a class, NSCLCs are relatively insensitiv ...
patients who carry an abnormal version of a key protein, a potentially life-saving discovery for tens of thousands of patients around the world every year.
* 2019: Dana–Farber physician and researcher
William Kaelin Jr. receives the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...
for "discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability."
Academic integrity issues
In 2024, an investigation revealed evidence of
research misconduct
Scientific misconduct is the violation of the standard codes of scholarly conduct and ethical behavior in the publication of professional scientific research. It is the violation of scientific integrity: violation of the scientific method and ...
in dozens of studies authored by Dana-Farber researchers.
Notable Dana-Farber employees tied to the misconduct allegations included then
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
and
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
Laurie Glimcher, the
Executive Vice President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
and
COO William C. Hahn, and the
Research Integrity Officer Barrett Rollins.
The misconduct involved image discrepancies, including duplications of blots, bands, and plots. A review of the allegations was complicated by the authors' inability to provide the original data from older papers, citing lab storage limitations.
Elisabeth Bik
Elisabeth Margaretha Harbers-Bik (born 1966) is a Dutch microbiologist and scientific integrity consultant. Bik is known for her work detecting photo manipulation in scientific publications, and identifying over 4,000 potential cases of improper ...
, a recognized expert in image manipulation who examined some of the images, refrained from speculating on whether the manipulation was intentional. However, she noted that a large volume of data issues in a scholar's work can be "very suggestive of an intention to mislead."
Not all of the studies reported on required a correction or retraction. The Institute noted that, “The presence of image discrepancies in a paper is not evidence of an author's intent to deceive. That conclusion can only be drawn after a careful, fact-based examination which is an integral part of our response. Our experience is that errors are often unintentional and do not rise to the level of misconduct.” The corrections and retractions were part of a larger trend and use of AI in identifying image discrepancies and other issues from researchers, universities and research institutions around the world.
More than 51 studies, many of them decades old, were affected. Dana-Farber's Office of Research Integrity immediately began a review of the papers and when needed, submitted corrections and retractions to the medical journals. In total, 7 papers were retracted
and 31 others were corrected,
and, in October 2024, Laurie Glimcher stepped down as President and CEO.
Patient care
Dana–Farber/St. Elizabeth's Cancer Center (DF/SEMC) and Dana–Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) are collaborations between Dana–Farber Cancer Institute,
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, and
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH or The Brigham) is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two ...
to care for adults with cancer. Dana–Farber provides outpatient services, while inpatient care is provided by St. Elizabeth's Medical Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital. DF/SEMC and DF/BWCC care for adult patients in more than a dozen specialized treatment centers.
Dana–Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is a more than 70-year-old partnership between
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2013) is the main pediatric training and research hospital of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. It is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children ...
and Dana–Farber Cancer Institute that delivers comprehensive care to children with and survivors of all types of childhood cancers.
They also work with several other local New England organizations that share a similar vision, such as
Take a Swing at Cancer
Take A Swing at Cancer, Inc. (TASC) is an American tax-exempt Charitable organization, charity (IRS designated 501(c)(3)) that was established in memory of cancer patients and raises money to be used in the war against cancer. The emphasis of ...
, Angel's Hope, Childhood Cancer Lifeline of New Hampshire and Andrew's Helpful Hands.
Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
The Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center is the largest
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...
(NCI) designated
Comprehensive Cancer Center in the nation. Founded in 1997, DF/HCC is an inter-institutional research enterprise that unites all of the cancer research efforts of the Harvard affiliated community. The primary goal of the Cancer Center is to encourage and promote collaborative interactions and translational research that will lead to new approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
DF/HCC is one of just 39 NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Its members hail from the following institutions:
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and one of the founding members of Beth Israel Lahey Health. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital (f ...
,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2013) is the main pediatric training and research hospital of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. It is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children ...
, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute,
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
,
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school at Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Hong Kong entrepreneur Chan Tseng-hsi in 2014 following a US$350 ...
,
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is a teaching hospital located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the original and largest clinical education and research facility of Harvard Medical School/Harvar ...
, and
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Cancer research organizations
Cancer organizations based in the United States
NCI-designated cancer centers
Medical research institutes in Massachusetts
Teaching hospitals in Massachusetts
Hospitals in Boston
Harvard Medical School
Hospitals established in 1947
Hospital buildings completed in 1947