Author Archives: Johanna

Does Diet Matter?

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Francesca Castro and Dr. Urvi Shah

Francesca Castro (left). Photo by Chad Hunt.
Dr. Urvi Shah (right). Photo by Ethan Kavet.

Americans eat loads of ultra-processed foods, from soda to cold cuts to potato chips. But could these items be contributing to cancer rates?

Perhaps. In an article for VeryWellHealth, MSK Dietitian Nutritionist Francesca Castro notes that ultra-processed diets are generally low in fiber, which is known to protect against many cancers. Still, there are other foods that can increase cancer risk, like red meat.

Castro concludes, “There’s no one food or food group that can cure cancer or reduce cancer risk.” She recommends people look critically at their overall diet and think about whether they could benefit from eating more vegetables, fruits, and fiber.

Want to learn more? Listen to an interview with MSK’s Dr. Urvi Shah on the Healthcare Unfiltered podcast. She discusses the challenges of doing nutrition-related research, along with findings by her and others in the field about diet and cancer risk. Her descriptions of this research begin around 17:30. (Spoiler alert: eat more plant-based foods.)

At the Intersection of Research and Treatment: Interviews with MSK Physician-Researchers

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Dr. Luis Diaz, Jr., left, and Dr. Michael Postow, right.

Dr. Luis Diaz, Jr., left. and Dr. Michael Postow, right. Photos by Rick DeWitt (l) and Chad Hunt (r).

Two MSK physician-researchers were profiled in the media last month.

Fast Company spoke with Dr. Luis Diaz, Jr., Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology. Dr. Diaz co-led a clinical trial of an immunotherapy for rectal cancer that proved effective without the need for surgery in all 14 participating patients. He aims to expand this research to cancers that are usually treated by extensive, life-altering surgeries, like esophageal, pancreatic, and stomach malignancies.

Becker’s Hospital Review interviewed Dr. Michael Postow, Chief of MSK’s Melanoma Service. Dr. Postow is excited about the growing efficacy of immunotherapies and the progress vaccines are making in cancer care. His research is motivated in part by the awareness that current treatment modalities do not yet help every patient; we have miles to go to improve care for everyone.

From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor

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Larry Norton, MD

Larry Norton, MD. Photo by Juliana Thomas.

A recent Washington Post article about advances in cancer treatment features MSK.

The article begins by sharing the experiences of a patient, Kelly Spill, who enrolled in an MSK clinical trial using immunotherapy to treat her rectal cancer. She and the other 17 trial participants all had a complete clinical response from the treatment. Ms. Spill has been cancer-free for nearly three years.

For many, cancer is now serious but treatable. MSK’s Dr. Larry Norton attributes this to improvements in prevention, screening, diagnostics, and treatment. He makes special note of the impact immunotherapies have had on many patient outcomes.

These positive changes make the need for survivorship care even more critical. Learn more about MSK’s survivorship and follow-up care programs.