Recent MSK Discoveries & Advances

Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers are relentlessly exploring every aspect of cancer — from basic investigations of cells and molecules to clinical trials of new treatments and population-wide studies of the disease. While our core mission is to translate this knowledge into new strategies to control cancer, many of our investigators are also making scientific progress against other diseases and conditions.

Below are some examples of discoveries and advances that recently were made in our laboratories and clinics, and featured in our news stories.

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379 News Items found
American Society of Clinical Oncology logo
In the News
#ASCO17: Post-Conference Roundup of Themes and Trends

Read up on the progress being made in several key areas of cancer research, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, precision surgery, and epigenetics.
Head shot of doctor with glasses, white shirt, and blue tie in his lab.
In the Clinic
Drug Reduces Recurrence Risk in Subset of Women with Breast Cancer

A drug was shown to improve outcomes in women with HER2-positive early breast cancer when added to standard therapy.
Ethan Basch
In the Clinic
Online Symptom-Monitoring Tool Improves Survival for Those Undergoing Chemotherapy for Metastatic Cancer

A study presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology showed that an online tool to monitor patients’ symptoms improved overall survival.
Medical oncologist Mark Robson
In the Clinic
Phase III Trial of Targeted Drug Shows Promise in Treating Metastatic Breast Cancer

Investigators found that olaparib extended progression-free survival by an average of three months in women with advanced breast cancer.
photo of sample blood vials
Finding
Could a Blood Test Detect Early-Stage Cancers?

A sensitive assay for detecting tumor DNA in the blood performed well in patients and may herald the development of a blood test for cancer screening.
Three syringes stuck into an orange and white bull’s-eye
In the Clinic
Drug Targeting Genetic Mutation Works across All Tumor Types

A drug effective in all cancer types with a mutation called a TRK fusion could be the first ever developed simultaneously in adults and children.
Various kinds of nuts
In the Clinic
Two Studies Link Healthy Habits to Increased Colon Cancer Survival

People who maintain a healthy lifestyle after surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer are more likely to have a favorable outcome after treatment.
Left-handed and right-handed KRas molecules
In the Lab
Mirror-Image Chemistry Enables New Approach for Targeting an “Undruggable” Cancer-Causing Protein

MSK chemists are focusing on developing small-molecule drugs to target KRas, an important cancer protein.
Scientists at the Sloan Kettering Institute are learning why some immune cells are stubbornly hard to revive with immunotherapy.
In the Lab
Why Immune Cells Sometimes Fail to Fight Cancer (and What to Do about It)

By looking at how DNA is packaged in cells, scientists are teasing apart a long-standing conundrum about the immune response to cancer.
Mount Rushmore viewed through face-detection software.
Making a Splash: Researchers Apply Face-Detection Technology to the Study of Genes

Taking a cue from smartphone technology, scientists are using face-recognition algorithms to improve RNA interference.