Precision medicine is rapidly transforming modern healthcare. It's a personalized approach that tailors prevention and treatment to each individual — moving beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all model.

Colorectal cancer is one area where precision medicine is reshaping the standard of care for patients like Eric Minnesota. 

At 56, Eric was training for an Ironman triathlon when he got a devastating diagnosis — stage 3 colorectal cancer. 

Eric is sharing his inspiring story to raise awareness for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Watch: Transforming colon cancer care through precision medicine

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:10) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic" – Read the script.

Man on a mission

Eric has been an athlete his whole life. He's a soft-spoken man with a gentle demeanor and a never-give-up attitude that defines everything he does. "I've competitively raced mountain bikes for the last 20 years," says Eric. "I'm an outdoors person...hiking, fishing, camping, anything outdoors is what I really enjoy."

Eric's dream has long been to compete in an Ironman triathlon, one of the toughest endurance events in the world. Competitors must complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. That's 140.6 miles in one day.

"From a health point of view, I thought I was nearly at the top of my game based on my age," says the Arizona man. "I've been healthy my whole life — no surgeries, no broken bones...I've never taken a sick day from work in my 25-year career."

Toughest challenge yet

Eric was in the midst of training for Ironman Arizona. All was going as planned. Then one day, Eric began having stomach pain. He went to his doctor who delivered a diagnosis Eric never expected.

"He discovered a significant mass. He relayed to me that I should see a colorectal surgeon as soon as possible to have it evaluated and find out what the next steps should be," recalls Eric. Soon after, Eric got his official diagnosis — stage 3 colorectal cancer.

"The plan was to remove my colon and replace it with an ostomy," says Eric. An ostomy is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows waste to exit the body into a bag. It may be needed after colon surgery so the body can eliminate waste.

In preparation for surgery, Eric and his wife, Paula, turned to Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "The doctor at Mayo said a team of specialists would convene as a group to review my case. Mayo was quicker than I ever imagined. The following week they called me to discuss my treatment plan," says Eric.

Hope through innovation

Mayo Clinic's treatment plan included more than surgery as an option. The team explained that by using precision medicine, they were able to determine Eric was a candidate for a nonsurgical approach to treatment called immunotherapy.

"By performing genomic sequencing on the patient's blood and the tumor, we were able to identify a precision treatment approach, including immune therapies, that can sometimes allow a patient to avoid the need for complex and life-altering surgeries," says Dr. Jewel Samadder, a gastroenterologist and cancer geneticist with Mayo Clinic's Early Onset and Hereditary Gastrointestinal Cancers Program.

Immunotherapy works by using the body's own immune system to fight the cancer. The nonsurgical treatment is delivered in a series of treatments by IV infusion. "The treatment is surprisingly easy. To be truthful I feel guilty based on the type of treatment that I had for my cancer versus what other individuals go through. It's just a simple infusion that takes less than an hour start to finish," explains Eric.

Crossing the finish line

Eric crossed the finish line of his immunotherapy treatment in six months. The results were a success. A colonoscopy following treatment showed the cancer was gone. "I won the lottery," says Eric. "The stars aligned with my markers and the care team had the expertise. It was incredible. It was all a perfect fit."

"This is a perfect example of why patients come to Mayo Clinic and see multiple physicians in our multidisciplinary cancer clinics and our early-onset program so that we can understand the cause of their cancer, determine the best treatment approaches, including clinical trials, and sometimes avoid complicated life-altering surgeries when possible, as in this patient's case," says Dr. Samadder.

"As soon as we heard about immunotherapy, we had to try it. This aligned with his goals. I'm just over the moon," says Paula.

Eric was able to keep working and training throughout his treatment. He says his only side effect was mild fatigue. "We spent a lot of time together as a family. Just being able to maintain that quality of life through the treatment was irreplaceable. You just can't put a price on that," says Eric.

"We are so grateful to everyone at Mayo Clinic, especially our oncologist Dr. Christina Wu," says Paula. "I would be lost without her. Thanks to Dr. Wu, I have my husband here with me today."

Celebrating life and love

Eric is back to working on his dream of one day becoming an Ironman triathlete. "Giving up is never an option," says Eric. "You have to turn on the switch, and keep going."

As Eric and Paula celebrate life, they are also celebrating their love. "We just had our 32nd wedding anniversary. These moments, these struggles together, it all has just made us stronger." says Eric. "I'm grateful for Mayo, for everything. I came out a better person."

Related stories

• Eric and Paula Minnesota with a special message to Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Inside a colonoscopy
• Housecall: Colon cancer screening — know your options
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Warning signs of colorectal cancer in younger adults

The post (VIDEO) Transforming colon cancer care through precision medicine appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

This episode of "Tomorrow's Cure" explores how a type of blood cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is hard to detect early in its development and how monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) may be a precursor to CLL. The discussion focuses on how genetics can help shape the understanding of how likely people are to develop CLL from MBL and the cell analysis that aids this discovery. 

Mayo Clinic experts Sameer Parikh, M.B.B.S, a hematologist, and Susan Slager, Ph.D., a lymphoma researcher, join Gerald Marti, M.D., a hematologist for the National Institutes of Health as they talk about Dr. Marti's discovery and naming of MBL. Dr. Marti recounts how MBL was first identified in the late 1990s when researchers studied blood samples from people linked to hazardous waste Superfund site investigations, using lab methods to classify immune cells by their "fingerprints." 

A routine blood test for complete blood count can reveal many things to healthcare professionals, but in this CLL and MBL research, the teams explain how flow cytometry, a more detailed way to "scan" individual blood cells to learn more, comes into play. 

As the group discusses the research, they discuss what early detection can mean beyond the identification of such scans. Using polygenic risk scores that combine what is known about blood cells and genetic histories can help identify how combinations of small, inherited genetic differences can become a single risk estimate: each genetic variant nudges risk only a little, but together they can help explain why some people are more likely to develop CLL.

The conversation highlights where the guests think things could go next, including AI tools that might speed up cell analysis or help detect subtle warning signs earlier, while Mayo Clinic programs like the Hematology Precursor Clinic— and the broader Precure initiative — work to identify risk earlier and, over time, develop better ways to counsel and support patients.

The researchers talk with host Cathy Wurzer about where genomic testing and treatments are headed and what it will take to achieve these insights at scale.

Listen to the latest episode of "Tomorrow's Cure" wherever you get your podcasts. You can explore the full library of episodes and guests on the show's page.

The post Tomorrow’s Cure: The quiet beginnings of leukemia appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Dr. Yousef Zakharia discusses research expanding treatment options for patients with bladder and kidney cancers.

Cancers of the reproductive and urinary organs, known as genitourinary cancers, affect millions of people worldwide each year. At Mayo Clinic, Yousef Zakharia, M.D., a medical oncologist and chair of the Genitourinary Disease Group at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, leads clinical research aimed at improving outcomes for patients with kidney, bladder and prostate cancers.

In addition to overseeing the disease group, he serves as leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, where he develops and evaluates new treatments for patients whose cancer has progressed after standard therapies.

"We've made significant progress in cancer therapies," Dr. Zakharia says. "But there is still more work to do, especially for patients whose disease no longer responds to standard therapies. Clinical trials help us expand options and move the field forward."

Expanding treatment options in bladder cancer

For many years, cisplatin-based chemotherapy was the primary treatment for bladder cancer. Researchers have recently identified newer treatment options that improve outcomes and are generally well tolerated, including enfortumab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate, and the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab.

Initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration for advanced disease, the combination is now being evaluated before surgery in patients with localized cancer, meaning the cancer has not spread to distant organs.

Dr. Zakharia is co-author of a study being presented at the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium examining this approach in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, in which the cancer has grown into the bladder wall and typically requires surgery.

In the large international phase 3 clinical trial, nearly 800 patients were randomly assigned to receive either the combination therapy or traditional cisplatin chemotherapy before surgery.

The results showed meaningful improvement. The combination reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or progression by 47% and improved overall survival. About 55% of patients who received the therapy had no detectable cancer at surgery, compared with 32% in the chemotherapy group.

"That degree of complete response is significant," says Dr. Zakharia. "It suggests we are improving outcomes and potentially leading to long-term remission for some patients."

The treatment was generally well tolerated, with side effects considered manageable and often less burdensome than chemotherapy. Based on the findings, Dr. Zakharia says the combination may soon become standard therapy before surgery for patients eligible to receive cisplatin.

Improving outcomes in kidney cancer

In metastatic kidney cancer, today's first-line treatments are significantly more effective than those available in the past. Many patients receive dual immunotherapy or a combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

"These combinations shrink tumors in 60% to 70% of patients," Dr. Zakharia says. "With certain immunotherapy combinations, 10-year follow-up data show that about 30% of patients with advanced disease and higher-risk features are alive and doing well. That was previously unheard of in metastatic kidney cancer."

Despite these advances, many patients eventually experience disease progression. Response rates to second-line treatments drop to roughly 30% to 40%, making this an important focus of Dr. Zakharia's research.

One study led by Dr. Zakharia combines high-dose selenium, which is a nutritional supplement being studied for its potential anticancer effects, with a standard targeted therapy. In an early-phase clinical trial involving patients whose cancer had already progressed on other treatments, the combination produced tumor shrinkage in about half of the participants, with some responses lasting more than two years. The results were published in Clinical Cancer Research in 2025.

"The results were encouraging, especially in a refractory setting where we typically see more modest response rates," he says. A larger randomized trial is now being planned.

Mayo Clinic is also opening additional kidney cancer trials combing next-generation drugs with established treatments. Some evaluate entirely new medications being tested in patients for the first time. The goal is to improve response rates and extend survival while maintaining quality of life.

Clinical research leadership at Mayo Clinic

"We're continuing to refine treatment approaches based on what we learn through research," Dr. Zakharia says. "Mayo Clinic's translational science and multidisciplinary teams make it possible to move discoveries from the laboratory to patient care more quickly."

With multiple new studies underway in kidney and bladder cancer, Mayo Clinic continues to advance collaborative research aimed at improving long-term outcomes for patients.

The post Mayo Clinic expert highlights improved survival in muscle-invasive bladder cancer and kidney cancer appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — A multi-institutional study led by Mayo Clinic and published in Cell Reports Medicine reports that pairing a next-generation immunotherapy with standard hormone therapy before surgery may help overcome a long-standing barrier in early-stage prostate cancer treatment. 

Immunotherapy has been generally ineffective for prostate cancer because the tumors are considered immunologically "cold," meaning they do not attract enough immune cells to mount a strong attack. Hormone therapy commonly used for prostate cancer, called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), can temporarily make tumors more responsive by drawing immune cells into the cancer. But that benefit is short-lived: the treatment also increases levels of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which act as brakes on the immune system and blunt its anti-cancer effects.  

In the first-in-human, early-phase randomized trial, researchers tested whether adding a next-generation immunotherapy to hormone therapy before surgery could counteract that immune-suppression. The combination reduced Treg levels inside prostate tumors. Patients whose tumors showed the greatest reductions were more likely to remain cancer-free during follow-up. 

"This trial provided a unique opportunity to test a new immunotherapy drug in patients who have localized prostate cancer. They don't have metastatic disease yet, but they are at high risk of reaching that stage. These are patients who possibly can be cured," says Casey Ager, Ph.D., a cancer immunology researcher at Mayo Clinic and first author of the study.   

ADT starves cancer cells of male hormones like testosterone, which they use as fuel. Desirable immune effects of ADT are cut short by Tregs, which normally keep the immune system from overreacting to substances and attacking the body. In the case of prostate cancer, Dr. Ager says they limit immunotherapy effectiveness. 

"Hormonal therapy brings many types of immune cells in that can attack and kill the tumor. But this comes with an equal and opposite reaction where Tregs also come in and suppress the immune system, allowing the tumor to ultimately progress," says Dr. Ager. He and a team of Mayo Clinic researchers collaborated with colleagues at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Bristol Myers Squibb to investigate whether suppressing Tregs could overcome this hurdle by safely releasing the immune system's "brakes" to help it mount a better response against prostate cancer. 

The study, which was designed to evaluate safety and biological effects, enrolled 24 men with high-risk, localized prostate cancer and found that adding the investigational Fc-enhanced anti-CTLA-4 antibody BMS-986218 to hormone therapy significantly reduced Tregs inside tumors compared with hormone therapy alone. 

"Selective Treg depletion in tumors has been a long-sought goal of the oncology field for some time. We had the opportunity to test a drug that's been engineered to better deplete Tregs than the drugs we previously had. It targets CTLA-4, which is highly expressed on Tregs, particularly within tumors," says Dr. Ager. 

The findings provide the first clinical evidence that an engineered anti-CTLA-4 therapy can deplete regulatory T cells within prostate tumors. 

Because the treatment was given before surgery, researchers also were able to analyze large sections of the surgically removed prostate tumors following treatment, rather than being limited to minuscule tissue biopsies, which harbor few immune cells to study. Dr. Ager says this rare opportunity allowed them to use multiple advanced technologies in parallel to map at unprecedented depth how this novel immunotherapy treatment affected the complex immune milieu of prostate cancer, down to the level of individual immune cells. This comprehensive look inside the tumor provided new clues about how the therapy affects immune cells, which patients may benefit most, and identified potential biomarkers to guide future trials. 

"These findings establish the clinical feasibility of immunotherapy in early-stage prostate cancer, and they provide an invaluable dataset from which to develop and deploy new, evidence-based immunotherapy approaches in these patients," says Dr. Ager. 

For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, review the study. 

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact: 

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Study identifies potential immunotherapy strategy for early-stage prostate cancer  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: As a nonsmoker lung cancer hasn't been a concern of mine, but I recently heard it can affect people who have never smoked. If someone is concerned about lung cancer, what symptoms should they watch for, how is it diagnosed, and what treatment options are available today? 

ANSWER: It can be surprising to learn that lung cancer can develop in people who have never smoked. In fact, up to 20% of lung cancers occur in people without a history of smoking. While smoking remains the leading risk factor, other contributors include secondhand smoke, air pollution, exposure to radon and a family history of lung cancer. 

Possible lung cancer warning signs  

One of the challenges with lung cancer is that it often doesn't cause symptoms in its early stages. When symptoms do appear, the disease is often more advanced, which is why early detection is so important. Currently, people between the ages of 50 and 80 with a significant smoking history may qualify for lung cancer screening, but you should pay attention to symptoms regardless of smoking status. 

Symptoms that occur in or around the lungs include: 

• A new cough that doesn’t go away 
• Chest pain 
• Coughing up blood, even a small amount 
• Hoarseness 
• Shortness of breath 
• Wheezing  

If lung cancer spreads to other parts of the body, symptoms can include: 

• Bone pain 
• Headache
• Unplanned weight loss or loss of appetite 
• Swelling in the face or neck  

If you experience new, persistent or worsening symptoms, make an appointment with a healthcare professional and ask about appropriate screening or diagnostic options. 

Advanced diagnostics and staging 

Diagnosis often starts with imaging. If someone has symptoms, a clinician may begin with a chest X-ray and then move to more detailed imaging, such as a CT scan. Sometimes lung cancer is discovered incidentally, when a CT scan performed for another reason reveals a lung nodule.  

The next step is determining whether a nodule is cancerous or benign. Doctors often can use information from the CT scan to guide next steps. PET scans also may be used to diagnose lung cancer and determine whether it has spread. 

In some cases, a biopsy is needed to confirm the presence of cancer cells. Biopsies can be performed in several ways. A biopsy guided by CT scan uses a needle inserted through the chest wall to collect tissue, while a bronchoscopy involves guiding a scope through the mouth and airways to reach the suspicious spot in the lung.  

Advanced tools have improved accuracy. For example, robotic bronchoscopy allows physicians to reach nodules throughout the lungs through the airways and obtain tissue samples more precisely. This approach also can enable lymph node evaluation during the same procedure, which is critical fordetermining the stage of cancer and developing the best treatment plan.  

Treatment approaches and tissue-sparing options 

Treatment for lung cancer depends on several factors, including the cancer type, stage and the person's overall health. Options often include surgery, radiation therapy (like stereotactic radiation therapy), chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy or a combination.  

Surgery is the mainstay for treating early-stage lung cancer. Increased screening has led to more cancer being detected earlier, allowing more patients to benefit from minimally invasive surgical techniques. These procedures often use video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) or robotic surgery approaches,and they may involve lung-sparing techniques, such as wedge resections and segmentectomies. Preserving as much healthy lung tissue as possible is important for long-term breathing function and lung health. 

Depending on the extent of the disease, surgeons may remove part of a lung, an entire lobe or, in some cases, the whole lung. During surgery, teams also can use rapid, real-time pathology to confirm complete tumor removal and better understand the extent of the disease.  

In certain situations, treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy may be given before surgery to shrink the tumor. This approach, known as neoadjuvant therapy, can make surgery possible sometimes for patients who were not previously candidates.  

Lung cancer care often involves multiple specialties. Seeking care at an experienced center, where multidisciplinary teams collaborate closely, helps ensure treatments are tailored to each patient's specific cancer and overall needs.  

Stay in tune with your body 

Even if you've never smoked, awareness of lung cancer is important. Pay attention to symptoms that don't resolve, new or worsening breathing problems, or changes that feel unusual. Talk with a healthcare professional if something doesn't seem right.  

If a lung nodule or other concern is found, today's advanced diagnostic tools can help determine whether it is cancer and guide next steps. Treatment options continue to advance, with many people benefiting from minimally invasive surgery and newer drug therapies that are improving outcomes and quality of life. 

Luis Tapias Vargas, M.D., Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A: What do I need to know about lung cancer?  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have identified a previously unrecognized way lung tumors weaken the immune system, helping explain why many patients do not respond to immunotherapy and pointing to a potential new approach to make those treatments more effective.

The study, published in Cancer Immunology Research, focuses on regulatory T cells, immune cells that normally keep the immune system from becoming overactive. In lung cancer, researchers found these same cells can be redirected to protect the tumor instead of the body.

"What we are seeing is the tumor taking advantage of a normal immune safety mechanism and turning it to its own benefit," says Henrique Borges da Silva, Ph.D., an immunologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and senior author of the study. "The same cells that normally prevent immune damage are instead protecting the tumor."

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although immunotherapies have improved outcomes for some patients, many tumors continue to grow because immune cells cannot function effectively inside the tumor environment.

To better understand why, the researchers analyzed patient data from non-small cell lung cancer. They found that regulatory T cells inside lung tumors expressed high levels of P2RX7, and higher P2RX7 expression was linked to worse survival outcomes.

P2RX7 allows regulatory T cells to sense ATP, a molecule released by stressed cells and commonly found at high levels inside tumors. When these cells detect ATP, they accumulate within lung tumors and suppress immune cells that would otherwise attack the cancer.

When P2RX7 was removed from regulatory T cells, lung tumors grew more slowly because the immune system was less suppressed. Immune cells that attack cancer were able to move into tumors more easily and were more active.

The study also found that P2RX7 helps regulatory T cells produce CTLA-4, a molecule that dampens immune responses. Without P2RX7, these regulatory cells were less effective at shutting down immune activity inside lung tumors.

Blocking P2RX7 also helped immune cells work more closely with B cells. This led to higher levels of antibodies that target tumors and to the formation of organized immune cell groups inside tumors, which have been associated with better outcomes in lung cancer.

"If we want immunotherapy to reach more patients, we have to understand why it fails," Dr. Borges da Silva says. "This study identifies one of the mechanisms standing in the way."

The researchers also tested a drug that inhibits P2RX7. They found that the inhibitor developed smaller lung tumors in models and had fewer regulatory T cells inside the tumors. While the drug is not yet approved for cancer treatment, the findings suggest it could one day be used alongside existing immunotherapies.

Researchers say more studies are needed before the findings can be tested in patients, but the work highlights how targeting immune suppression inside tumors could help make cancer treatments more effective.

For a full list of authors and disclosures, see the paper.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining the cancer center of the future, focused on delivering the world's most exceptional patient-centered cancer care for everyone. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs in cancer detection, prevention and treatment to change lives.

Media contact:

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic study identifies mechanism behind immunotherapy resistance in lung cancer appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

February is Heart Month

ROCHESTER, Minn. — As cancer therapies improve and increasingly achieve cures or recurring periods of remission, preventing and managing damage to organs from cancer treatment has become a top concern. That includes injury to the heart, says Joerg Herrmann, M.D., a cardiologist and the founder and director of the Cardio-Oncology Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

As physicians and researchers work to prevent, diagnose and treat heart damage from cancer therapies, they also have learned about connections between cancer and the heart that go beyond the cardiac effects of cancer treatments. Dr. Herrmann shares three things to know:

1. There is a "web of risk factors."

Cancer and heart disease have common risk factors, Dr. Herrmann says. Those include lifestyle habits.

"We call it the web of risk factors. Some of the very same lifestyle-related factors can set patients up for both cancer and cardiovascular disease," he explains. "Smoking is a prime example. It increases the risk of lung and other cancers and coronary artery disease, heart attacks and peripheral artery disease."

In addition to not smoking, you can reduce your risk of cancer and of heart disease by achieving a healthy weight; avoiding or moderating alcohol use; controlling cholesterol (some cancer treatments can worsen cholesterol levels); getting enough sleep; and adopting a healthy diet with fruit and vegetables, he adds.

Physical activity is another important factor. It has been shown to reduce heart damage risk during cancer treatment, help prevent cancer recurrence and improve cardiovascular outcomes, Dr. Herrmann says.

"The more elements of a healthy lifestyle you meet, the better your health projection is for the heart and cancer," he says. "You will reduce the risks of two of the leading killers and increase life expectancy."

Cancer and heart disease can actually be risk factors for each other.

"We've realized that the relationship between cancer and heart disease works in both directions," Dr. Herrmann says. "Cancer itself can impact the cardiovascular system apart from cancer therapies, and vice versa. Patients with heart failure or other cardiovascular diseases have a higher risk of cancer."

2. A variety of things may be done during cancer treatment to reduce risk to the heart.

Which treatments are given and how can affect the risk of heart damage, Dr. Herrmann says. For example, the medical team may:

• Use treatments that minimize harm to healthy tissue, such as targeted therapies or proton beam therapy.
• Stagger certain chemotherapy drugs to give the heart a chance to heal between treatments.
• Use medications that protect the heart during chemotherapy.
• Use techniques to shield healthy tissue during radiation therapy, such as body positioning and breath-holding to provide greater separation between the tumor and the heart. 

"These shielding efforts have come a long way for adults and children who have cancer," he says.

3. Artificial intelligence and wearables are promising innovations.

The goals of Dr. Herrmann's research including developing tools that predict – before treatment – who is at high risk of heart damage from certain cancer therapies. This would enable shared decision making among patients and their care teams about the approach to treatment.

He and his colleagues are also working on therapies to mend hearts broken by chemotherapy and to develop easier and more cost-effective surveillance strategies for cardiovascular side effects of cancer therapies. Early detection and intervention are likely to lead to the best outcomes, Dr. Herrmann says.

The use of wearables and artificial intelligence (AI) can help, he says. Research has found, for example, that applying AI to an electrocardiogram, a test that measures the heart's electrical activity, may help detect a decline in heart function.

"We're interested in going further with AI technologies and developing simulations to show how different therapies would affect a given patient," Dr. Herrmann says.

Some patients remain at risk of heart disease for a lifetime after cancer treatment, but it's impractical to do echocardiograms to look at the heart for the rest of their lives. Wearables to alert cancer survivors and their care teams to cardiac abnormalities are another promising area of research, he says.

"We've come a long way in cardio-oncology. We have a much better understanding of what we can do to manage heart risk from cancer therapies," Dr. Herrmann says. "Patients are in much better place now than they were even 10 years ago."

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post 3 things to know about cancer and your heart: Mayo Clinic expert shares tips to reduce risk appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic collaborated with New Phase Ltd. to install the first magnetic nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia machine for cancer research in the U.S. Hyperthermia is a procedure that uses heat to damage and kill cancer cells. The investigational machine will support research evaluating the safety, feasibility and potential effectiveness of this approach in cancer treatment.

"We have known for more than a century that temperature is the Achilles' heel of cancer, but conventional hyperthermia has limitations and is not widely available," says Scott Lester, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The hyperthermia technology we've installed is still investigational but may enable us to harness heat in a novel way for advanced cancers, and we're grateful to be the first to use it in our research."

The investigational hyperthermia machine is an electromagnetic induction system that targets the torso. Doctors first administer iron oxide-containing magnetic nanoparticles through an IV, allowing them to collect in tumors. The care team then positions the patient in the machine, where electromagnetic waves heat the tumors to help destroy cancer cells.

"It works like an induction cooktop," Dr. Lester explains. Induction cooktops require special pans to interact with the device. Instead of pans, the tumor absorbs the nanoparticles, effectively turning it into an induction pan. When alternating magnetic fields pulse the pan, it creates heat. A special coating on the nanoparticles limits the temperature to no more than 50 degrees Celsius. The care team also places cooling blankets on patients to keep their body temperature from rising too high and monitors them closely. The hope is that this controlled heating can damage the tumor to slow or stop its growth.

New Phase Ltd. manufactures both the hyperthermia machine and the nanoparticles. Mayo Clinic installed the machine within the Radiation Oncology Department in the Jacobson Building at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The team completed the installation in November 2025. The first U.S. patient then received hyperthermia as part of a clinical trial in December 2025.

In the clinical trial, researchers are administering the investigational therapy to metastatic solid tumors in any body area except the brain. The investigational therapy can be administered to multiple tumors simultaneously and to cancers that are deep in the body. "We are focusing on patients whose cancers are resistant to multiple lines of systemic therapies and other advanced treatments, including radiotherapy," says Sean Park, M.D., Ph.D., radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-principal investigator of the trial with Dr. Lester.

"Science has taught us that hyperthermia may be the ultimate sidekick for these treatments," Dr. Lester adds. "We aim for hyperthermia to be the fourth leg of cancer treatment, giving us a different angle to attack cancer and help patients." Researchers also plan to study hyperthermia in combination with other treatments, such as radiation. Combination therapy could allow for lower radiation doses with the same effectiveness or improve outcomes in radiation-resistant tumors.

"The research collaboration between New Phase Ltd. and Mayo Clinic aims to open new treatment possibilities for metastatic cancer patients who currently have limited options," says Ofer Shalev, CEO and co-founder of New Phase Ltd.

Twenty years ago, Mayo Clinic radiation oncologists used ultrasound to heat water-filled bags that were placed on patients' skin, often on the chest wall of women who had recurrent breast cancer after surgery and radiation. "We added the heat to enhance the effects of radiation, and there were times it was very successful," says Nadia Laack, M.D., chair of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic. However, the water bag temperature was unreliable, and patients could experience pain, causing the technique to fall out of favor. Other studies showing the benefits of hyperthermia combined with radiation were also limited by technological constraints.

"Now, we may have a more advanced method to reintroduce hyperthermia into cancer therapy," Dr. Laack says. "If we can demonstrate its effectiveness, we can make hyperthermia more widely available to help patients with complex cancers."

Mayo Clinic has a financial interest in the technology referenced in this news release. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center
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• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — A medication commonly used to treat overactive bladder significantly reduced hot flashes in men receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology which included several Mayo Clinic researchers.

The phase 2 study found that oxybutynin, a medication commonly prescribed to treat overactive bladder, worked better than a placebo at reducing how often hot flashes occurred and how intense they were in men receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer. Men who took oxybutynin also reported improvements in their day-to-day functioning and overall quality of life.

Hot flashes affect an estimated 60% to 80% of men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy and can interfere with sleep, mood and overall well-being. For some patients, these symptoms are severe enough to make it difficult to continue treatment.

"Hot flashes are often underestimated in men, but they can have a real and lasting impact on quality of life during prostate cancer treatment," says Bradley Stish, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic and first author of the study. "This trial shows that oxybutynin can provide significant relief with a favorable safety profile."

The study enrolled 88 men with prostate cancer who were experiencing frequent hot flashes while receiving androgen-deprivation therapy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive oxybutynin at one of two doses or a placebo for six weeks.

Men who received the higher dose of oxybutynin experienced the greatest benefit, with an average reduction of nearly seven hot flashes per day, compared with about two fewer hot flashes per day in the placebo group. More than 75% of men receiving the higher dose achieved at least a 50% reduction in hot flash severity.

Patients taking oxybutynin also reported less disruption to sleep, work, social activities and overall quality of life. No treatment-related serious adverse events occurred during the study. The most common side effect was dry mouth, which was more frequent at higher doses.

Oxybutynin has previously been shown to reduce hot flashes in women, but evidence in men had been limited. This trial is among the first randomized, placebo-controlled study to demonstrate its effectiveness for men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy.

"These results expand the options available to clinicians and patients who are trying to manage a challenging side effect of prostate cancer treatment," says Dr. Stish. "Having additional, well-tolerated choices matters."

Researchers note that larger studies will be needed to confirm the findings and determine the optimal dose, but the results support the use of oxybutynin as a treatment option for men with bothersome hot flashes related to hormone therapy.

The study was conducted through the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, part of the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trial Network. It included participants from academic and community cancer centers across the U.S. Mayo Clinic has a financial interest in the technology referenced in this news release. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post New treatment works to improve hot flash symptoms in prostate cancer therapy appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new study published by Mayo Clinic researchers suggests that ovarian cancer cells quickly activate a survival response after PARP inhibitor treatment, and blocking this early response may make this class of drugs work better.

PARP inhibitors are a common treatment for ovarian cancer and can be especially effective in cancers with impaired DNA repair. However, many tumors eventually stop responding, even when the drugs initially show results. The new research identifies a way cancer cells may survive PARP inhibitor treatment early on, and it points to a potential strategy to block that response.

In the study, researchers found that ovarian cancer cells rapidly activate a pro-survival program after exposure to PARP inhibitors. A key driver of this response is FRA1, a transcription factor that helps turn on genes that allow cancer cells to adapt and avoid cell death.

"This work shows that drug resistance does not always emerge slowly over time — cancer cells can activate survival programs very early after treatment begins," says Arun Kanakkanthara, Ph.D., an oncology investigator at Mayo Clinic and a senior author of the study. "By targeting that early response, we may be able to improve how well existing therapies work and potentially delay or prevent resistance."

The research team tested whether brigatinib, an FDA-approved drug currently used to treat certain lung cancers, could block this survival response and enhance the effects of PARP inhibitors. Brigatinib was selected because of its ability to inhibit multiple signaling pathways involved in cancer cell survival.

The results showed that combining brigatinib with a PARP inhibitor was more effective than either treatment alone. Importantly, this effect was seen only in cancer cells, not in normal cells, suggesting the potential for a more targeted and safer treatment approach.

Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that brigatinib helps in a completely new way. Rather than acting through traditional DNA repair pathways, brigatinib shuts down two key signaling molecules, FAK and EPHA2, that aggressive ovarian cancer cells rely on to survive. Blocking both signals at once weakened the cancer cells' ability to adapt and resist treatment, leaving them far more vulnerable to PARP inhibitors.

The researchers also found a potential clue for identifying which patients might benefit most from this treatment. Tumors with higher levels of the signaling molecules FAK and EPHA2 responded better to the drug combination. Other data suggest that ovarian cancers with high levels of these molecules are often more aggressive, highlighting the promise of this approach for harder-to-treat cases.

"From a clinical perspective, resistance remains one of the biggest challenges in treating ovarian cancer," says John Weroha, M.D., Ph.D., a medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic and a senior author of the study. "By combining mechanistic insights from Dr. Kanakkanthara's laboratory with my clinical experience, this preclinical work supports the strategy of targeting resistance early, before it has a chance to take hold. This strategy could improve patient outcomes."

This research sheds new light on how ovarian cancer evades treatment, and it points to a promising strategy for improving patient outcomes.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Lung cancer drug offers a surprising new treatment against ovarian cancer appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.