SEATTLE — Oct. 7, 2025 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch Cancer Center research findings, patient stories and other news.
October is breast cancer awareness month and hereditary cancer awareness week was Sept. 29 – Oct. 5. If you’re working on stories related to these diseases, please reach out to media@fredhutch.org to connect with experts.
Cancer screening
Are we ready for multi-cancer detection tests?
Multi-cancer detection tests (MCDs) are already entering the market, despite still being studied for efficacy by the Cancer Screening Research Network (CSRN), which is based at Fred Hutch. While many MCD outcomes are unknown, experts including CSRN co-principal investigators Scott Ramsey, MD, PhD, Ruth Etzioni, PhD, and Garnet Anderson, PhD, as well as Bill Grady, MD, discuss potential drawbacks, other standard-of-care cancer screening and how health care organizations can prepare for the new tests.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, kwynn@fredhutch.org
Whole-body MRI and cancer screening
Fred Hutch radiologists Brian N. Dontchos, MD, and Manjiri Dighe, MD, review a range of data around the ability of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen for cancer. Findings demonstrate an overall lack of efficacy and data for adults and children using the scans. In one 6,000-person study, MRI scans found abnormalities in 95% of patients, only 1.8% of which had a form of malignancy.
Media contact: Heather Platisha, hplatisha@fredhutch.org
Hereditary cancer
Testing for hereditary cancers can be a lifesaver
During Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week, Fred Hutch cancer patients and experts share the impact of genetic testing for inherited cancer risk. Genetic mutations like CHEK2 and BRCA 2 can increase the risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, thyroid and many other cancers. According to Heather Cheng, MD, PhD, and Mercy Laurino, MS, PhD, patients with identified inherited risks can have more treatment options and better outcomes. Fred Hutch offers a variety of screening programs and clinics for breast, ovarian, gastrointestinal and blood cancers.
Media contact: Heather Platisha, hplatisha@fredhutch.org
Immunology
Oh, the microbes you’ll meet!
A study by Fred Hutch immunologist Meghan Koch, PhD, published in the journal Science describes a biological mechanism that tunes the developing immune system so that it doesn’t overreact to harmless microbes or new foods encountered during development. This learning in mice begins in the first week of life with a maternal antibody passed through breastmilk. The discovery could lead to potential therapies for food allergies in newborns and infants.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Cancer research
Cancer AI Alliance unveils first collaborative AI platform for cancer research
A research collaboration of top cancer centers including Fred Hutch announced the first scalable platform using federated learning for cancer research. The platform will enable researchers and clinicians to train AI models that learn from participating cancer centers’ millions of clinical data points while maintaining data security, privacy and adherence to regulatory and ethical standards.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Fred Hutch study finds new life for ‘ineffective’ drugs
Research in Cell Reports Medicine from Taran Gujral, PhD, and Nao Nishida-Aoki, PhD, found three times the number of effective drugs after testing them on slices of tumor that also contain key elements of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Future studies could examine what happens in the TME that diminishes the effectiveness of drugs that work well on isolated cancer cells in a dish.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Infectious disease
Experts urge clinical trials network to study infectious disease therapies in immunocompromised patients
The U.S. population of immunocompromised patients — those at an increased risk of infectious disease — has grown to 20 million. A vision for the proposed clinical trials network published recently in JAMA Network Open, building upon last year’s interdisciplinary meeting between leading experts, advocates and government officials. Fred Hutch researchers Josh Hill, MD, Michael Boeckh, MD, PhD, and Steve Pergam, MD, MPH, lead the effort to create the network.
Media contact: Claire Hudson, chudson@fredhutch.org
Awards and other recognitions
Dr. Yeon Soo Kim receives NIH Pathway to Independence Award
Postdoctoral researcher Yeon Soo Kim, PhD, received a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Cancer Institute to fund her research in the Hsieh lab. Kim studies how advanced prostate cancer evades therapy by altering the way RNA builds proteins. The award will support further research that could improve the efficacy of treatments for advanced prostate cancer.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Dr. Elizabeth Swisher receives the Torkelson Family Endowed Chair
Elizabeth Swisher, MD, is the inaugural recipient of the Torkelson Family Endowed Chair, established by former ovarian cancer patient Doris Torkelson. Swisher has studied genetic risk factors for gynecologic cancers for over 25 years and was an early leader of the Fred Hutch Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention (BOCP) Clinic. She will use the funding to develop and offer tailored treatments for gynecologic cancers.
Media contact: Heather Platisha, hplatisha@fredhutch.org
Dr. Shailender Bhatia receives the Lyn and Daniel Lerner Endowed Chair in Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Shailender Bhatia, MD, is the inaugural recipient of the Lyn and Daniel Lerner Endowed Chair in Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC). The chair was established by the Lerner family after both Daniel and daughter Julie were treated at Fred Hutch. Bhatia has led numerous clinical trials against MCC, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, and will use the funding to pursue better immunotherapies against the disease. Bhatia is the director of the Melanoma and Renal Cancer Team.
Media contact: Heather Platisha, hplatisha@fredhutch.org
He’s one of the longest living bone marrow transplant survivors
This episode of the From Bench to Bedside and Beyond podcast recognizes Fred Hutch’s 50th anniversary with one of the oldest living bone marrow transplant (BMT) survivors. His transplant case was published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Nobel Prize-winner Dr. E. Donnall Thomas in 1975.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Science spotlight
Science Spotlight is a monthly installment of articles written by postdoctoral fellows that summarizes new research papers from Fred Hutch scientists. If you’re interested in learning more or covering these topics, contact media@fredhutch.org
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Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fred Hutch Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options while accelerating discoveries that prevent, treat and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.
Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.