ROCHESTER, Minn. — Researchers in a Mayo Clinic-led study have shown how to detect a broad range of DNA mutations in noncancerous human tissues and across the genome. The analysis, drawing on more than 90 trillion DNA letters of sequencing data, could help scientists study when these changes arise — from early development through aging — and how they contribute to cancer and other diseases. 

Published in Cell, the study is the flagship paper in a package of roughly a dozen publications from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund's Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues, or SMaHT, Network. The network includes more than 300 members from more than two dozen U.S. universities and hospitals. Researchers evaluated approaches for detecting somatic mutations ranging from single-letter DNA changes to large deletions, insertions and rearrangements. 

Alexej Abyzov, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic professor of biomedical informatics who leads the Somatic Mutations in Development and Aging Laboratory, is the corresponding author of the Cell study. 

Reading the cellular mosaic

Unlike inherited genetic changes, somatic mutations arise after conception and accumulate over a lifetime. As cells divide, they can pass those changes to new cells, creating genetic differences within the same person, known as somatic mosaicism. Some somatic mutations can alter how cells behave and contribute to cancer, aging, and neurodevelopmental, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. 

These mutations can be difficult to detect when they are rare or occur in complex, repetitive regions of the genome. The SMaHT Network compared short- and long-read whole-genome sequencing, duplex sequencing, single-cell sequencing, and computational approaches. 

One of the clearest findings came from long-read sequencing, which reads longer stretches of DNA at a time. Much like reading a full sentence instead of a few scattered words, the added context made large genetic changes easier to find. Long-read sequencing detected about twice as many large DNA changes as short-read sequencing. It also found insertions that shorter reads often missed. 

Researchers improved detection in other hard-to-read parts of the genome too. In one benchmark, a more complete genome reference raised precision from 79% to 89%. Single-cell sequencing of 102 lung and colon cells revealed differences from cell to cell and helped trace their history back to early development. 

Companion study maps rare mutations across tissues

Dr. Abyzov also co-led a companion SMaHT paper published in The American Journal of Human Genetics. Deep whole-genome sequencing accurately detected rare, single-letter DNA changes present at levels below 1% in a tissue sample. 

Analyzing DNA from different organs also helped detect mutations that arose early in development and spread to multiple tissues. Combining lung and colon data uncovered 13 additional shared mutations, improving detection by 145% for these very rare mutations compared with analyzing either tissue alone. 

SMaHT aims to catalog somatic mutations across 10 to 15 tissue types from 150 donors while improving the tools used to detect them. NIH is planning a second stage focused on understanding how these mutations influence biological processes and disease. 

Dr. Abyzov says the research could eventually help identify people at higher cancer risk and track precancerous changes in tissues before developing symptoms.  

The studies were supported by the NIH Common Fund through the Office of Strategic Coordination in the NIH Office of the Director. The companion study received additional NIH support for work conducted at Mayo Clinic. For complete author lists, disclosures and funding information, review the Cell study and the companion The American Journal of Human Genetics 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 

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

ROCHESTER, Minnesota — You probably know that a lump in the breast may be a symptom of breast cancer. But what about breast cancer that develops without that warning sign? Inflammatory breast cancer is a fast-moving cancer that doesn't usually form a lump; instead, the skin on one breast changes rapidly, explains Tina Hieken, M.D., a surgical oncologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Inflammatory breast cancer often comes with symptoms that mimic inflammation of the breast, such as a change in skin color to a pink, red, purple or bruised appearance, unusual warmth in the affected breast, and orange peel-like skin, a symptom known as peau d'orange.

As a result, inflammatory breast cancers may be misdiagnosed as cellulitis, mastitis, Paget’s disease of the breast, or other more benign conditions.

Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for roughly 1% to 5% of breast cancer diagnoses but 10% of breast cancer deaths, statistics show.

"When there are changes in the skin of the breast, particularly in women who aren't nursing and do not have breastfeeding-associated redness, that can be a warning sign of cancer and should be evaluated by a medical professional," Dr. Hieken says.

"In inflammatory breast cancer, symptoms can develop within a few months," she notes. "That's different from someone noting a lump in the breast over a period of time, and then secondarily, skin changes in the breast over a year or longer."

In inflammatory breast cancer, abnormal cells go through the lymphatic channels in skin and soft tissue, accounting for the skin changes in the breast, Dr. Hieken explains.

Inflammatory breast cancer treatment

Inflammatory breast cancer is treated first with systemic therapy: a treatment that goes through the whole body, she says. That therapy is based on the cancer's biological features, or subtype, such as whether it expresses the estrogen receptor or overexpresses the HER2 protein.

The systemic therapy is usually delivered intravenously and could be:

• Chemotherapy directed at rapidly dividing cells.
• Targeted therapy aimed at cells that overexpress the HER2 protein.
• Immunotherapy to help the body fight cancer that doesn't express the estrogen receptor or the HER2 protein; this is the least common type, Dr. Hieken says.

Then, surgery includes removal of the breast and  nearby lymph nodes, typically followed by radiation that includes the chest, armpit and shoulder. This three-mode approach of whole-body therapy, surgery and radiation is critical to disease control for cancer that has a high risk of spreading to other parts of the body or recurring in the breast and surrounding area, Dr. Hieken says. More common forms of breast cancer may not require all types of available treatments.

Advances in inflammatory breast cancer care

There have been several innovations in the treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.

"Very similar to non-inflammatory breast cancer, giving treatment at the beginning that is designed for one of those three or four subtypes of breast cancer is probably the biggest innovation," Dr. Hieken says. "I think in parallel, the other big innovation is better cross-sectional imaging so that, at the outset, we know whether patients have disease that has spread beyond the breast and the regional lymph nodes."

Among the breast cancer subtypes, progress has particularly been made in HER2-positive inflammatory breast cancer, with the addition of two different drugs that work in a complementary way to block the effects of the HER2 protein overexpression, she adds.

"It's been a huge advantage and has really improved outcomes for women," Dr. Hieken says. "Then, for those women who have less than a complete response to that systemic treatment, there are new targeted therapies that can be given after surgery."

Another improvement is intensity modulated radiotherapy, or IMRT, that is delivered using CT integrated planning, she says. This allows the care team to look at a patient in three dimensions and determine how to personalize radiation therapy to minimize the effects through such techniques as having the patient practice breath-holding or lie on her stomach during radiation therapy.

"We're learning a lot," Dr. Hieken adds.

A team approach to inflammatory breast cancer treatment

At Mayo Clinic, physicians from across treatment disciplines work alongside researchers seeking new care options for patients with this aggressive form of cancer.

Specialists from medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology and radiology work together. They collaborate with additional healthcare professionals such as genetic counselers, pathologists, social workers, occupational and physical therapists, psychotherapists, and integrative medicine experts, to offer comprehensive support to patients.

For more information about inflammatory breast cancer, visit mayoclinic.org and the Mayo Clinic Medical Professionals website.

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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

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Four decades ago, Mayo Clinic in Florida opened its doors to patients, beginning a transformation from a five-story building into a global medical destination that now serves more than 184,000 patients from more than 80 countries each year.

On Oct. 13, 1986, Mayo Clinic in Florida had 35 physicians and 145 support staff. Today, the campus employs nearly 12,000 staff members across 50 specialty areas, providing comprehensive diagnostic, medical, surgical and specialty care, including highly coordinated care for patients with complex and serious conditions.

Mayo Clinic in Florida is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Florida and nationally recognized in eight specialties in U.S. News & World Report's 2026–2027 "Best Hospitals" rankings. For the first time this year, Mayo Clinic in Florida also earned a place on the Honor Roll, recognizing the nation's top 20 hospitals. Newsweek recognized Mayo Clinic in Florida as the No. 1 hospital in the Southeast in its "World's Best Hospitals" rankings.

"Throughout the last 40 years, the dedication, resilience and ingenuity of our teams have driven remarkable progress as we've advanced new treatments and redefined what's possible for our patients," says Kent Thielen, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida. "As we look to the future, we remain committed to investing in our people, our facilities and innovative technologies that enable us to Cure, Connect and Transform healthcare, always guided by our primary value: The needs of the patient come first."

As Mayo Clinic in Florida looks to its next 40 years, investment in facilities through Bold. Forward. Unbound., technology and research will continue to transform how care is delivered.

Over the past decade, Mayo Clinic has invested more than $1 billion in campus development, more than doubling its physical footprint. Over $800 million has been invested in major capital projects that will add more than 725,000 square feet for patient care, biomedical research and technology over the next several years.

Recent campus milestones include:

• The five-floor hospital expansion, later named the Lee Ringhaver Tower in recognition of a $75 million gift from Paula and Randy Ringhaver, features advanced automation and digital patient care technology, including app-controlled room experiences, virtual family participation, less-intrusive monitoring, digital walls and autonomous carts.
• The 228,000-square-foot Duan Family Building houses the first carbon-ion therapy system in the Americas and technology capable of delivering both carbon ions and protons to the same cancer tumor.
• A new downtown Jacksonville presence focused on community health education, clinical trial participation, outreach and biomedical research to help address local health needs.
• A $50 million gift from Gilchrist and Amy Berg accelerated Mayo Clinic's Innovation Exchange, renamed the Mayo Clinic Berg Innovation Exchange, which connects innovators with Mayo expertise, resources and pathways for developing healthcare solutions.
• Mayo Clinic's Florida Transplant Center completed its 10,000th transplant, marking a significant milestone in the growth and maturation of a program central to Mayo Clinic's clinical presence in Florida.
• A research agreement with Carnegie Mellon University to bioengineer new approaches to organ transplantation and address long-standing barriers to successful transplantation.
• The eight-story, 252-room Hilton Jacksonville at Mayo Clinic opened on the Florida campus, providing patients, families and other visitors with convenient access to care and a supportive, resort-style hospitality experience.

Mayo Clinic in Florida 40^th Anniversary Media Kit

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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:

• Tia Ford, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic in Florida marks 40 years of transforming care and shaping the future appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — When back or spine problems persist, figuring out where to go for care can be confusing. Should you see a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic surgeon? A neurologist or rehabilitation specialist? And if you see a spine surgeon, does that mean you'll need surgery?

Spine conditions often cross medical specialties, which is why getting the right diagnosis is an important first step, say Mayo Clinic spine experts Benjamin Elder, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon, and Mel Helgeson, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon.

"The optimum benefit is that patients get thorough evaluations from multiple clinicians with different perspectives to figure out the best route forward," Dr. Elder says.

Coordinated, multidisciplinary evaluation provides clarity, removes guesswork

At Mayo Clinic Spine Centers in Arizona, Florida, Rochester and Northwest Wisconsin, patients with a range of spinal conditions can be evaluated by specialists across neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine, and other areas. The goal is to understand what is driving a patient's symptoms and determine the most appropriate path forward.

"Our model of care removes any bias that might drive spinal treatment," Dr. Helgeson says. "We can communicate with other professionals on the team and focus on doing what is right for each individual patient."

That broader perspective can be particularly important because symptoms that seem to stem from the spine may occur alongside neurological or other medical problems. Specialists can review records and imaging, and they can coordinate additional testing or consultations when needed.

For patients, that means the starting point doesn't necessarily have to be choosing the right specialty themselves. Instead, a coordinated evaluation can bring together the expertise needed to reach a diagnosis and develop an individualized treatment plan — and surgery isn't always the answer.

"We generally first determine the least invasive option that will provide a solution to patients and then develop treatment plans in coordination with their wishes," Dr. Elder says.

Treatment approach is tailored to each patient's needs

Depending on the diagnosis, treatment may include rehabilitation, pain management and other nonsurgical approaches. When surgery is appropriate, Mayo Clinic's neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons collaborate with other specialists to determine the approach that best fits the patient's condition and needs.

If a patient does need a surgical procedure, some may also require additional medical treatment before surgery, such as improving their bone health, and Mayo has one of the most advanced programs in preoperative optimization and bone health.

For people seeking care for a back or spine problem, Drs. Elder and Helgeson say an important consideration is whether the care team can look beyond a single procedure or specialty and offer a range of options.

"All that expertise is brought together for comprehensive diagnosis and treatment," Dr. Helgeson says.

Ultimately, the objective is not simply to treat an image or a diagnosis but to help people regain function and quality of life.

"Spinal conditions are complex, and we always put the needs of the patient first," Dr. Helgeson says. "The goal is to take people from a place of significant pain and dysfunction and return them to as normal a quality of life as we can."

Drs. Elder and Helgeson are available for interviews.

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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:

• Tia Ford, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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WAKEFIELD, R.I., and ROCHESTER, Minn. — South County Health (SCH) and Mayo Clinic today announced SCH has become the first healthcare organization in Rhode Island to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a select group of independent healthcare organizations carefully vetted by Mayo Clinic and granted special access to Mayo Clinic's knowledge, expertise and resources.

The milestone represents a significant advancement for healthcare in Rhode Island and serves as a foundational step in South County Health's vision to create a new model for independent community healthcare — one that combines world-class clinical expertise, advanced digital capabilities, and local, patient-centered care. As part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, South County Health healthcare professionals can quickly access Mayo Clinic's latest research, diagnostic and treatment recommendations whenever they feel it will benefit their patients.

"Today marks a defining moment for South County Health and the communities we serve," says Aaron Robinson, president and CEO of South County Health. "Becoming a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network brings together the best of both worlds: trusted local care and the knowledge, expertise, and resources of one of the world's leading healthcare organizations, while preserving the personalized, community-based care that has always been at the heart of South County Health."

South County Health healthcare professionals can consult Mayo Clinic expertise when they determine it would benefit a patient, at no additional cost to the patient. This can provide additional clinical input while supporting care close to home.  The Mayo Clinic Care Network membership expands the tools and expertise available to local clinicians, enhancing the high-quality care already available in the community and providing additional support for complex cases and specialized needs.

As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, South County Health clinicians will have access to:

• AskMayoExpert – Provides trusted, expert information to help healthcare professionals find the right answers when they need them. Created and used by Mayo Clinic physicians, all the information in AskMayoExpert is regularly reviewed and represents the latest in Mayo Clinic's medical expertise.
• eConsults – Direct connections to Mayo Clinic specialists for complex cases.
• eBoards – Multidisciplinary case reviews with Mayo Clinic experts and other network members.
• Mayo Clinic Platform – Advanced digital and AI-enabled clinical tools.

"We are pleased to welcome South County Health into the Mayo Clinic Care Network," says Ryan Uitti, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Platform. "Their commitment to quality, safety and patient-centered care aligns well with the values of the Mayo Clinic Care Network."

South County Health was selected to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network by demonstrating a commitment to quality and patient-centered care. Founded in 2011, the Mayo Clinic Care Network reached a 15-year milestone as a global community of more than 50 member organizations, representing 80 hospitals and nearly 20,000 physicians.

"For many independent health systems across the country, the traditional path to sustainability has required sacrificing independence to gain access to the resources, scale and expertise needed to compete in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape," Robinson adds. "We believe there is another path. This is about creating a model that improves administrative work and advances clinical care. That means a stronger local health system today and greater access to world-class healthcare for generations to come."

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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 Platform
Mayo Clinic Platform is a strategic initiative of Mayo Clinic that enables collaboration, data-driven innovation and responsible AI development to transform healthcare globally. Mayo Clinic Platform is reimagining healthcare as an ecosystem — one where data, digital solutions and expertise flow seamlessly between innovators and care teams to improve care for patients everywhere.

About South County Health
South County Health is an independent, nonprofit health system featuring a 100-bed community hospital (South County Hospital) along with six ambulatory locations across central and Rhode Island. With a commitment to clinical excellence, patient-centered care and community well-being, South County Health provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient and specialty services. South County Health is proud to be Rhode Island's Most Trusted Health Partner.

Media contacts:

• Matt Moeller, South County Health, mmoeller@southcountyhealth.org
• Caroline Auger, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post South County Health becomes first health system in Rhode Island to join Mayo Clinic Care Network appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic researchers report encouraging early results from an experimental therapy targeting the genetic cause of a rare form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The study is published in Med. 

The single-patient study points to a broader possibility in precision medicine — using the genetic cause of a disease as a framework for testing highly targeted therapies, particularly for patients with rare conditions that have few treatment options. 

"I didn't think I would see this kind of research in my lifetime — identifying a disease-causing mutation, developing an experimental therapy and delivering it to a patient," says Björn Oskarsson, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and senior author of the study. "It speaks to the power of science and how far genetically targeted treatments have come." 

Targeting genetic ALS

That work builds on a long history of ALS genetics research at Mayo Clinic. In 2011, then-Mayo Clinic neurogeneticist Rosa Rademakers, Ph.D., and colleagues helped discover a mutation in the C9orf72 gene, now recognized as the most common inherited genetic cause of ALS. Dr. Rademakers received the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for her role in the discovery. Mayo researchers also developed early models that helped scientists investigate how the mutation contributes to ALS.

Since joining Mayo, Dr. Oskarsson has helped translate advances in ALS genetics into treatment research, contributing to the first approved treatment of genetic ALS. 

ALS progressively damages motor neurons, the nerve cells that control voluntary movement. In this study, genetic testing identified a mutation in CHCHD10, a gene associated with a rare form of ALS. The mutation appears to make the CHCHD10 protein harmful to nerve cells and is linked to abnormal changes in TDP-43, a protein closely associated with ALS. 

Mayo researchers collaborated with the nonprofit n-Lorem Foundation, which develops medicines based on antisense oligonucleotides, or ASOs, for people with ultrarare genetic diseases. ASOs are short synthetic strands of genetic material designed to bind to RNA and reduce production of a protein that contributes to disease. The foundation developed and evaluated more than 320 ASOs targeting CHCHD10 before selecting a lead candidate based on specificity and early safety testing. 

Early signs of treatment response

The study reports on the patient's first six doses of the experimental ASO, delivered through injections into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord. Treatment was well tolerated, and levels of neurofilament light — a blood biomarker of nerve-cell injury — declined by as much as 50%. Measures of breathing, cognition and physical function remained stable or showed modest improvement. 

"The quick response in neurofilament light was very encouraging," Dr. Oskarsson says. In a progressive disease such as ALS, he adds, stabilization can be a meaningful observation. 

The study also gives researchers a chance to look more closely at what is happening inside cells during the therapy. Using samples collected before and during the delivery of the ASOs, the team is studying changes in TDP-43 as well as mitochondrial function and gene activity. The goal is to understand how suppressing CHCHD10 may affect the disease process at a molecular level. 

The therapy remains experimental research and is not standard clinical care. Dr. Oskarsson estimates that about 50% of ALS is genetic, but he notes that only a subset of those cases are currently suited to an antisense approach. Some genetic forms may require other strategies, including gene editing. 

A framework for precision

The study is part of a broader effort through Mayo Clinic's N-of-1 Therapeutics Program to learn which elements of drug development, clinical evaluation and monitoring can be applied across individualized genetic therapies. 

"Cases like this are how we get started," says Margot Cousin, Ph.D., director of the N-of-1 Therapeutics Program and lead author of the study. "They help us build the scientific, clinical, translational and regulatory framework to do this rigorously and equitably. As we learn how to scale these approaches, the impact could reach far beyond ultrarare disease." 

Research in ultrarare diseases can help establish safety benchmarks, refine genetic-treatment platforms and clarify which disease mechanisms are most amenable to targeted therapy. Those lessons could ultimately inform new approaches to more common diseases. 

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: 

• Tia Ford, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu 

The post Mayo Clinic researchers report early results from therapy designed for a single patient with rare genetic form of ALS  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic announces a generous gift from the Penske Foundation to support Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester, part of Mayo Clinic’s $10 billion investment to transform healthcare through integrated digital and physical spaces. 

In recognition of this gift, Mayo Clinic will name the Penske Arrival Building, a new gateway to Mayo Clinic's downtown Rochester campus designed to provide patients and families with a warm, welcoming and seamless experience from the moment they arrive.

Recognizing that a patient's care experience begins well before they reach an exam room, Mayo Clinic designed the building to make arrival and departure an extension of care — integrating transportation, navigation, hospitality and human support to reduce logistical burdens so patients and families can focus on their health and one another. 

The Penske Foundation's leadership reflects a long-standing commitment to philanthropic and civic investment. That legacy of service is reflected in its relationship with Mayo Clinic, where its generosity has helped advance and strengthen patient care.

"The Penske Foundation is proud to support Mayo Clinic and its vision for transforming the patient experience. The Penske Arrival Building represents an important part of that vision by making the arrival experience easier and more welcoming for patients and their families," says Blair Penske Hall, president of the Penske Foundation. "We are honored to continue our long-standing partnership with Mayo Clinic and support its commitment to putting patients at the center of everything it does."

The Penske Foundation's support advances Bold. Forward. Unbound, Mayo Clinic's investment to create a fundamentally new model for how care is delivered and experienced. Through innovative care concepts, digital technologies and purpose-built environments like the Penske Arrival Building, Mayo Clinic is creating a Category-of-One experience that is designed around the needs of each patient and visitor.

The building will feature approximately 15,000 square feet of thoughtfully designed interior space, advanced valet services, patient and visitor amenities, and a direct subway connection to Mayo Clinic's established and new clinical buildings.

The Penske Arrival Building will begin welcoming patients with valet and drop-off service on Oct. 8. Parking will become available in April 2027, providing nearly 500 parking spaces for patients at the heart of Mayo Clinic in Rochester's downtown campus.

"The needs of the patient come first in everything we do," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "The Penske Arrival Building will bring parking, transportation, navigation and personal support together in one place and make it easier for patients and families to begin and end their time at Mayo Clinic. It is a fitting reflection of the Penske Foundation's commitment to service, and we are truly grateful for their enduring partnership."

The Penske Foundation's past philanthropic support for Mayo Clinic has accelerated the institution's top priorities through the President's Strategic Initiative Fund and advanced the Mayo Clinic Model of Care, Research and Education. The Penske Foundation is recognized by Mayo Clinic as a Philanthropic Partner, its highest level of distinction for benefactors.

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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:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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Mayo Clinic findings also link specific gut bacteria to cancer survival and identify a pretreatment signal associated with chemotherapy toxicity

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered distinct gut microbiome patterns in adults age 50 or younger with colorectal and breast cancers compared with those diagnosed later in life — one of several findings from an analysis of stool samples from 1,364 patients with cancer across cancer types, stages and treatments.

Among younger patients, those with colorectal cancer had higher lactate levels and more Veillonella parvula, a gut bacterium that feeds on lactate. Early-onset breast cancer showed changes across 64 bacterial species and lower levels of primary bile acids.

Published in Cell, the findings come from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Microbiome cohort, a real-world study that recruited cancer patients at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, representing 40 states. Stool samples were collected before patients began a new treatment regimen and linked to detailed clinical data on side effects and outcomes. The samples provided a window into the gut microbiome — the trillions of microbes living in the digestive tract.

Cancer-specific microbiome patterns emerge

Researchers first compared patients with cancer with 287 people without cancer to identify broad microbiome differences. Comparisons across cancer types then revealed more specific signals. After accounting for other health conditions, researchers pinpointed 341 bacterial species associated with five cancer groups.

Among those groups, neuroendocrine tumors showed a broad loss of common, health-associated gut bacteria. Liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers had higher levels of several bacteria, including Enterococcus faecalis, while esophageal cancer had higher levels of six species, including several Streptococcus bacteria. Distinct associations were also found in lymphoid leukemia and multiple myeloma and related plasma cell cancers.

Distinct patterns in early-onset cancers 

The findings come as colorectal and breast cancer rates rise among younger adults. Colorectal cancer incidence is increasing about 3% a year among adults ages 20 to 49, while breast cancer incidence is rising 1.4% a year among women younger than 50, according to the American Cancer Society.

The colorectal finding raises questions about a possible biological connection: Tumors can produce high levels of lactate, which Veillonella parvula uses to grow. Whether that relationship plays a role in early-onset disease is not yet known.

In breast cancer, one of the 64 species that differed in younger patients was Clostridium scindens, a bacterium involved in bile acid and steroid metabolism.

No comparable age-related microbiome differences were found in brain cancer, the third cancer examined in the early-onset analysis. The colorectal and breast cancer findings do not establish that these microbial or metabolic differences cause early-onset disease, but they identify associations that warrant further study.

Gut microbiome linked to survival and treatment side effects 

Researchers also identified specific gut bacteria associated with survival in colorectal, liver and intrahepatic bile duct, melanoma, ovarian and prostate cancers. In liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer, Bifidobacterium longum was associated with longer survival and Blautia A massiliensis with shorter survival.

Researchers also studied whether the gut microbiome before treatment was associated with diarrhea during chemotherapy, a side effect that can make treatment harder to tolerate. Among patients receiving 5-fluorouracil, or 5-FU, a chemotherapy used to treat many types of cancer, those who later developed diarrhea had lower levels of bacterial genes capable of breaking down the drug. Much of that function came from Anaerostipes hadrus, a common gut bacterium.

The same signal was not linked to diarrhea in patients receiving carboplatin, another chemotherapy drug, suggesting the finding was specific to 5-FU.

"The microbiome is not the sole driver of cancer or treatment outcomes, but it is an underappreciated component that has not traditionally been considered in therapeutic approaches," says senior author Purna Kashyap, M.B.B.S., a gastroenterologist, director of the Mayo Clinic Microbiome Program and Bernard and Edith Waterman Director, Microbiomics Program, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. "This gives us a proof of concept that we can begin to understand why some patients experience a particular side effect and identify a target that could potentially be acted upon."

Next, researchers will investigate whether cancer-specific microbial signals play a causal role in disease and validate the microbiome's potential to predict treatment side effects in larger patient groups.

The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and philanthropic gifts from the Valhalla Foundation, the Maxine & Jack Zarrow Family Foundation, and other benefactors to the Mayo Clinic Microbiome Program and Center for Individualized Medicine.

Jun Chen, Ph.D., professor of biostatistics and consultant in Mayo Clinic’s Division of Computational Biology, is also a co-corresponding author. 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 Distinct gut microbiome patterns found in 5 cancer groups and in early-onset cancers appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers led a multicenter study that found dividing radiation into several treatments, known as fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery, reduced the risk of cancer returning after surgery for brain metastases and was associated with improved survival compared with delivering radiation in a single treatment.

The findings are being presented today at the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in Boston.

Brain metastases, also called metastatic brain tumors, are cancerous tumors that spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body. Radiation therapy is a standard treatment after surgery, but researchers note that about 30% to 40% of patients experience cancer recurrence at the surgical site despite treatment with single fraction radiosurgery.

"The study findings give us the evidence necessary to transform clinical practice. We can now offer patients a treatment that controls their disease and is associated with improved survival," says Paul D. Brown, M.D., radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-principal investigator of the study.  

Why dividing radiation may improve outcomes

Stereotactic radiosurgery uses 3D imaging to precisely deliver high doses of radiation while limiting exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. It is typically delivered in a single treatment and is commonly used to treat brain metastases.

"We see high recurrence rates in patients with brain metastases because the challenge is eliminating microscopic cancer cells left behind after surgery without exposing too much healthy brain tissue to high doses of radiation," says Dr. Brown.

Dividing radiation into multiple treatments allows clinicians to deliver a higher total dose. It also gives healthy tissue time to recover between treatments, while tumor cells do not have the same ability to repair.  

Previous retrospective studies have suggested that fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery is effective, but the approach had not been validated in a randomized clinical trial.

How researchers studied fractionated radiosurgery

The study enrolled 242 patients with one to four brain metastases. Each patient had at least one metastasis larger than 2 centimeters that had been surgically removed.

Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a single treatment of stereotactic radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery delivered in three or five treatments. Radiation doses were based on the size of the treatment area. Brain metastases that had not been surgically removed were treated according to the same assigned schedule.

Researchers followed patients for a median of four years.

One year after treatment, 87% of patients who received fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery had no recurrence at the surgical site, compared with 81% of patients who received a single treatment. Fractionated radiosurgery also better controlled brain metastases that had not been surgically removed, although this result was not statistically significant.

Median overall survival was 29 months for patients who received fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery, compared with 20 months for patients who received a single treatment. Fractionated treatment was associated with a 31% lower risk of death.

"The survival benefit was an unexpected finding, and while the exact mechanism remains unclear, we suspect that advances in systemic therapies over the past decade may be interacting with better control of disease within the brain, and overall, better outcomes for patients," says Dr. Brown.

Researchers found no difference in side effects or complications between the two treatment approaches.

"This is a practice-changing clinical trial in our field, demonstrating that fractionated radiosurgery not only reduces recurrence after surgery for large brain metastases but may also improve overall survival," says Robert Mutter, M.D., chair of research in the Department of Radiation Oncology and co-leader of the Novel Therapeutics and Therapeutic Modalities Research Program at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

For more information, funding and authors, read the ASTRO abstract.

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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-Tilman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Study finds fractionated radiosurgery reduces recurrence after surgery for brain metastases, may improve survival appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers will present findings on emerging technologies, precision treatments and new radiation therapy techniques at the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, Sept. 26–30 in Boston.

Mayo Clinic experts will participate in nearly 65 poster, education, quick-pitch, scientific, oral, plenary and presidential sessions and present 45 abstracts. Their presentations will cover topics ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies in radiation therapy to clinical outcomes of precision treatments and novel techniques.

Meeting highlights include:

Presidential Symposium: Data to Dialogue: Communicating Radiotherapy's Value to Advance Care - Session II: Challenges and Opportunities in Scientific Knowledge Creation and Dissemination
Presentation time: Sunday, Sept. 27, 9:49–9:53 a.m. EDT
Description: This session will explore how today's science and healthcare information will be disseminated tomorrow, and look at the roles of journals, websites, online platforms and AI-powered content.
Panelist: John D. Halamka, M.D., Dwight and Dian Diercks president, Mayo Clinic Platform

Scientific Session: Clinical Trials Session
Presentation time: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2:10–2:20 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and Comprehensive Metastasis-Directed Therapy for Ewing Sarcoma Patients Enrolled on AEWS1221: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group (COG)
Description: The study examines the feasibility and safety of SBRT and comprehensive metastasis-directed therapy for patients with metastatic Ewing sarcoma. Researchers report the highest event-free survival to date in cooperative-group trials of metastatic Ewing sarcoma.
Presenter: Nadia Laack, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester

Education Session: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Emerging Technologies in Gynecologic Radiation Oncology: From Automation to Precision Delivery
Presentation time: Sunday, Sept. 27, 3:02–3:17 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: AI-Driven Automation in Pelvic Radiation Therapy: From Contouring to Plan Optimization
Description: The presentation explores prediction-guided care, including the use of artificial intelligence to identify each patient's risk of side effects and help physicians make more personalized treatment decisions.
Presenter: Andres Portocarrero Bonifaz, Ph.D., radiation oncology medical physicist, Mayo Clinic in Florida

Quick Pitch: Neurocognition and Novel Therapies in Glioma
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 8:25–8:30 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Patterns of Failure After 18F-DOPA PET and MRI–Guided Hypofractionated Proton Therapy in Older Adults with Glioblastoma
Description: Researchers will present patterns of radiographic failure at the first progression of glioblastoma in older adults treated with hypofractionated proton therapy guided by 18F-DOPA PET and MRI.
Presenter: Diego Santos Toesca, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Education Session: Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy (SFRT): Biological Mechanisms and Clinical Translation
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 8:32–8:47 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Delivering Minibeam Radiotherapy: Clinical Workflow and Translational Insights
Description: The presentation will share results from Mayo Clinic's first-in-human clinical translation of minibeam radiotherapy. Read the news release.
Presenter: Michael Grams, Ph.D.,  radiation oncology medical physicist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester

Oral Session: Patient Reported Outcomes/QoL/Survivorship
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 8:32–8:47 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Comparative Prognostic Value of Disease Specific Patient Reported Outcomes in Prostate Cancer
Description: The study compares how well patient-reported outcome measures predict overall survival, with the goal of informing evidence-based selection of these measures in prostate cancer.
Presenter: Minji Lee, Ph.D., scientist in radiation oncology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Scientific Session: Some crHEME with Your Coffee? A Winning Blend of Radiation and Systemic Therapy in Hematologic Malignancies
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 11:15–11:25 a.m. EDT
Presentation title: Safety of Maintenance Pembrolizumab (Pembro) and Concurrent Radiotherapy (RT) in Pediatric Participants with Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) and Slow Early Response (SER) to Front-Line Chemotherapy (Chemo): Post Hoc Analysis of the KEYNOTE-667 Study
Description: Researchers evaluated the safety of concurrent immunotherapy and radiation therapy in pediatric patients with Hodgkin lymphoma who were treated as part of a chemo-immunotherapy study.
Presenter: Brad Hoppe, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida

Plenary Session
Presentation time: Monday, Sept. 28, 2:04–2:13 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: Alliance A071801 Phase III Trial Postoperative Single Fraction Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) vs. Fractionated SRS (fSRS) for Resected Brain Metastasis
Description: Researchers report findings from a randomized trial comparing fSRS with single-fraction SRS for resected brain metastases.
Principal investigator: Paul D. Brown, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester

Scientific Session: Optimizing Therapy, Toxicity, and Supportive Care in Head and Neck Cancers
Presentation time: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 12:57–1:06 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: First Report from the Headlight Trials: Postoperative Hypofractionated Proton Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers Unrelated to HPV
Description: Researchers will report results from clinical trials evaluating a shorter course of proton therapy for head and neck cancer.
Presenter: Scott Lester, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Rochester

Scientific Session: The Automated Clinic: AI-Powered Contouring, Monitoring, and Data Extraction
Presentation time: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2:25–3:35 p.m. EDT
Presentation title: Personalizing PSA Follow-Up after Prostate Radiation Therapy: Developing a Patient-Specific AI-Powered Predictive Model for Clinically Meaningful Recurrence
Description: Researchers developed a machine-learning model that uses patient-specific clinical data and prostate-specific antigen kinetics to predict prostate cancer recurrence after definitive radiation therapy.
Presenter: Mariana Borras-Osorio, M.D., research fellow in radiation oncology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Learn more about ASTRO 2026.

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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 experts present radiation oncology research at ASTRO 2026 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.