(Press-News.org) MARCH 2026 TIP SHEET
Colorectal Cancer
Sylvester Expert Leads Prevention Efforts for High-Risk Colorectal Cancer Patients
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and an ideal time to focus on the third most common cancer in the U.S. Many people know the importance of early detection for effective treatment, but fewer are aware that the disease sometimes has a genetic cause. Daniel Sussman, M.D., leads a gastroenterology high-risk prevention clinic at Sylvester. “We help identify people who are at increased risk for cancer,” he explains, adding that the clinic facilitates genetic testing to see if there’s a heritable cause. Either way, the clinic then helps patients with personalized prevention plans.
Sylvester Researcher Wins Stanley J. Glaser Award for Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapy
Kevin Van der Jeught, Ph.D., has received a $72,000 Stanley J. Glaser Foundation Award to advance an experimental mRNA-based immunotherapy strategy for colorectal cancer. His research aims to boost the body’s immune response to anti–PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors. The project is designed to expand the number of patients who can benefit from immunotherapy and move the strategy toward an early-phase clinical trial at Sylvester in the coming years. The work reflects growing interest in using mRNA technologies to train immune cells to better detect and eliminate cancer.
Breast Cancer
Exercise During Breast Cancer Treatment Measurably Improves Quality of Life
Breast cancer treatment saves lives, but also can cause fatigue, muscle loss, emotional distress and other health issues for patients. Now, a Sylvester-led study published recently in The Lancet Healthy Longevity has shown that exercise during chemotherapy for breast cancer not only rebuilds strength, but also measurably improves quality of life, helping women improve mood, energy and overall well-being while receiving care. “Chemotherapy places stress on every system in the body,” explains LaShae D. Rolle, MPH, CDH, lead study author. “Quality of life becomes a central outcome during treatment, not something to consider only after it ends.”
Prostate Cancer
Bloodstream Clues Reveal the Role Androgen Receptor Alterations Play in Advanced Prostate Cancer
A new Sylvester study using serial liquid biopsies to track how metastatic prostate cancer evolves under treatment pressure found that androgen receptor (AR) alterations consistently emerged and were linked to poorer outcomes across therapies. The findings, published last month in Clinical Cancer Research, suggest that a single genomic test at diagnosis may be insufficient for managing advanced prostate cancer and support using real-time molecular testing to guide personalized care.
Pancreatic Cancer
Sylvester Researcher Wins Stanley J. Glaser Award for Pancreatic Cancer Immunotherapy
Jashodeep Datta, M.D., a surgical oncologist and immunotherapy researcher at Sylvester, has received a Stanley J. Glaser Foundation Research Award for his work advancing pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. His research focuses on decoding immune‑driven treatment resistance to develop more precise therapies and deliver them earlier in the treatment course for patients eligible for surgery. The award will support a new treatment strategy that blocks the interleukin-1 (IL-1) inflammatory pathway, which tumors can use to weaken the body’s immune response. Datta’s team plans to translate this work into an investigator-initiated clinical trial evaluating the combination approach for patients with operable pancreatic cancer.
Community Outreach
Dolphins Cancer Challenge XVI Surpasses $100 Million for Sylvester, United Community in Fight Against Cancer
The 2026 Dolphins Cancer Challenge surpassed $100 million raised for Sylvester, marking a historic milestone for the community-powered event that supports cancer research and patient care. Since its launch in 2010, the annual ride, run and walk has brought together thousands of survivors, supporters and community leaders united in the fight against cancer. One hundred percent of participant-raised funds directly support breakthrough research, innovative technologies and personalized treatments at Sylvester. The milestone underscores how sustained community investment continues to accelerate discoveries aimed at improving outcomes for patients and cancer survivors.
Game Changer: Taking Cancer Screening to the Streets
For many South Floridians, cancer screening does not start in a clinic. It begins when a Sylvester Game Changer vehicle pulls into their neighborhood. This mobile outreach strives to meet people where they are by bringing cancer screenings, education and research to their communities. “We are committed to reducing cancer burden through preventive care, including free screenings, educational programs, counseling and referral services,” says Erin Kobetz, PhD, MPH, associate director for community outreach and engagement, vice president for health promotion and chief wellbeing officer at Sylvester.
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Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan, in collaboration with university spinout NU-Rei Co., Ltd., are presenting six advances in the growth of gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃), a semiconductor material with strong potential for next-generation power devices used in electric vehicles, power conversion systems, and space applications. Gallium oxide is attracting growing interest in the power semiconductor industry because it can in principle produce higher voltage devices with relatively abundant, lower-cost raw materials.
The results are being presented at the spring meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics (March 15-18, 2026) by a research group ...
Hyperarousal plays an important role in mental disorders. It influences the severity of insomnia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and ADHD. Yet it is striking that researchers do not always mean exactly the same thing when they use the term “hyperarousal.” Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience therefore investigated whether different forms of hyperarousal exist.
“Within sleep research, we already know a great deal about the role of hyperarousal in insomnia,” says first author Tom Bresser. “But hyperarousal ...
AI-powered toys that “talk” with young children should be more tightly regulated and carry new safety kitemarks, according to a report that warns they are not always developed with children’s psychological safety in mind.
The recommendation appears in the initial report from AI in the Early Years: a University of Cambridge project and the first systematic study of how Generative AI (GenAI) toys capable of human-like conversation may influence development in the critical years up ...
Using virtual reality (VR) to explain what to expect ahead of a medical procedure could help patients better understand their treatment and reduce anxiety, a new study suggests.
The research is presented today [Friday 13 March 2026] at the European Association of Urology Congress in London (EAU26).
Patients often receive a leaflet of key information before consenting to undergo treatment. This includes what will happen, risks and benefits, which they can then discuss further with their clinician. However, information leaflets often contain jargon and are ...
An imaging test could safely halve the number of people who need a biopsy for suspected prostate cancer following inconclusive or reassuring results from an MRI scan, new research has found.
Findings from the PRIMARY2 trial are presented today [Friday 13 March 2026] at the European Association of Urology Congress in London (EAU26).
The PSMA PET/CT scan identifies more aggressive prostate cancer cells, which are potentially harmful and may need treatment. It does this with a molecule that binds to prostate cancer ...
Researchers have developed a new eco friendly method to transform biochar into a highly hydrophobic material that can repel water and absorb large amounts of oil. The innovation could help advance sustainable materials for environmental cleanup and green coatings.
The study, published in the journal Biochar, introduces a solvent free mechanochemical process that functionalizes biochar using octadecylamine. The resulting material can be applied as a coating on natural hemp fibers, giving them strong water repellent properties while allowing them to absorb oil efficiently.
Biochar ...
Biochar is widely studied as a low cost material that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Scientists have long believed that only the smallest pores in biochar play the main role in capturing carbon dioxide molecules. A new study now challenges this assumption by showing that larger pores may contribute more actively to carbon capture than previously thought.
The research, published in the journal Biochar, examines how different pore structures in biochar affect its ability to capture carbon dioxide. The study combines theoretical modeling with experimental measurements to analyze the behavior ...
Specialist resource centres (a form of ‘Inclusion Base’) within mainstream secondary schools may be linked to stronger academic progress, improved attendance, and a greater sense of belonging for autistic pupils, according to a new three-year study from the University of Surrey.
However, the research suggests that placement alone does not determine wellbeing. Instead, pupils’ perceptions of teacher and peer support were the strongest and most consistent predictors of positive ...
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University and Marshall Health Network, in collaboration with Intermed Labs (IL), has launched a new medical technology development initiative focused on improving the precision and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures. The project, currently operating under the working name DBS Lead Lock, is in prototype development and represents a joint investment in clinician-driven innovation.
The concept for the device was developed by Heather Pinckard-Dover, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Marshall Health Network ...
PHILADELPHIA – A topical cream activated the skin’s immune defenses and suppressed tumor growth in two preclinical models of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), one of the most common cancers in the world, according to a study published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Developed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the cream works by blocking LSD1, an enzyme that suppresses immune‑activating pathways in the skin.
“What’s ...
