SEATTLE — Aug. 4, 2026 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch Cancer Center research findings, patient stories and other news.
If you’re interested in reporting on any of this month’s stories, contact media@fredhutch.org to set up an interview.
August is Appendix Cancer Awareness Month and features awareness days for lung cancer on Aug. 1 and breast cancer research on Aug. 18. Contact media@fredhutch.org to speak with our experts on these topics.
Cancer research
FDA approves new breast cancer drug based on VIKTORIA-1 study results
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug gedatolisib, a kinase inhibitor able to block a signaling pathway often used to drive tumor growth and treatment resistance, based on results from the Study 1 VIKTORIA-1 trial. Sara Hurvitz, MD, FACP, senior vice president and director of the Clinical Research Division and holder of the Smith Family Endowed Chair in Women’s Health, led the multicenter study, which published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Gedatolisib significantly improved time without cancer progression for ER+/HER2- locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer patients and limited treatment side effects.
Infectious disease research
Nextstrain virus-tracking platform moves into new phase
A $1.5 million Gates Foundation grant will support Nextstrain, an open-access, open-source platform enabling public health projects and pandemic responses using viral genetic data. Genomic epidemiologist JT McCrone, PhD, will lead Nextstrain’s next phase to improve infrastructure and make analyses of viral evolution more accessible and scalable. The grant will also support developments to increase the size and complexity of genomic datasets, enhance deployment in low- and middle-income countries and use AI to help users understand analytical outputs.
Genetic research
Largest-ever genetic study of fibromyalgia points to a neurological origin of the disorder and opens the door to new treatments
In a landmark study published in Nature Medicine, an international team of researchers have identified new genetic risk factors associated with fibromyalgia syndrome, showing strong evidence that the syndrome is primarily a nervous system disorder rather than an autoimmune disease. The study was jointly led by Nasa Sinnott-Armstrong, PhD, at Fred Hutch as well as 53 researchers across seven countries.
Environmental health
Science-backed solutions for dealing with wildfire smoke, pollutants
Researchers in the Geospatial Exposome Lab (geoexlab) led by epidemiologist Trang VoPham, PhD, MPH, MS, developed two public-focused health platforms to help counteract air pollution, which is associated with lung, bladder, breast and other cancers. The free web app geoexmap lets individuals map their own neighborhoods’ environmental exposures and health data, and the new digital health intervention provides mitigation strategies through Epic for susceptible patients with air pollution exposure during wildfire season.
Survivorship and cancer care
Oncology Insights with Dr. Petros Grivas - Episode 18
In this episode, host Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, FASCO, welcomes Annemarie Shepherd, MD, medical director of Fred Hutch Cancer Center – Proton Therapy, to discuss proton therapy and its advancements. Their conversation explores proton technology, clinical trials, patient-centered care, collaboration and the future of radiation oncology.
Sidelining cancer treatment’s side effects through exercise, nutrition, prehab and rehab
In this episode of the Survivorship series on Bench to Bedside and Beyond, Fred Hutch News writer and cancer survivor Diane Mapes talks to prostate cancer patient advocate Marty Chakoian and Hanna Hunter, MD, medical director of Fred Hutch’s Cancer Rehabilitation Program, about the physical and mental aftereffects of a cancer diagnosis and the services Fred Hutch offers patients and survivors to help alleviate them.
Patient stories
At Ironman, a doctor and patient team upjoin forces to face a different sort of challenge
When Fred Hutch patient Mike Cleek was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a bone cancer that develops in cartilage-producing cells, he was referred to Jesse Roberts, MD, orthopedic oncologist and director of the Sarcoma Multidisciplinary Clinic. Roberts recommended a life-altering procedure to remove Cleek’s hip joint and half his pelvis and replace them with a 3D-printed metal implant. To keep his spirits up, Cleek set a goal to participate in an Ironman race. Following his surgery, Cleek and Roberts unknowingly registered for the same Ironman race, each inspiring the other to cross the finish line.
A loving tribute more than 50 years in the making
Since 1982, the Rutherford family has given annual support to everything from leukemia research to Fred Hutch’s Patient and Family Assistance Fund. The Rutherford’s annual gifts started as a tribute to their late son, Eric, who died of leukemia at 19, and continue with the intent of easing the experience of the families who have followed theirs.
Education
HutchCAN connects high school students to Fred Hutch staff and mission
Fred Hutch’s Hutch Career Access Network (HutchCAN) Student Program hosts Seattle-area high school students for an inside look at the many career opportunities at a comprehensive cancer center. In its third year, this spring’s program covered a range of topics including cancer genetics and prevention, scholarship and ethics, radiation oncology and social work.
Awards and recognition
Fred Hutch Cancer Center announces 2026 Evergreen Fund awardees
Eight researchers at Fred Hutch will receive a total of $975,000 for research projects as part of the Evergreen Fund, an internal grant program designed to advance translational discoveries to a commercially viable stage. Funded projects include an assay to guide pancreatic cancer treatment, a method to improve CAR-T effectiveness, an antibody treatment for herpes simplex virus and a new approach that could stop the development of acute myeloid leukemia.
Two Fred Hutch postdocs receive prestigious Damon Runyon awards
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awarded grants to two Fred Hutch postdoctoral fellows to support investigations of leukemia and lung infections in cancer patients. Vivian Liu, MD, received a Damon Runyon Physician-Scientist Training Award and Sahana Kuthyar, PhD, was named a Damon Runyon Quantitative Biology Fellow. Their translationally focused work will help improve cancer treatment and supportive care.
Dr. Sita Kugel receives the Leung Roy Family Endowed Chair
Pancreatic cancer researcher Sita Kugel, PhD, is the inaugural recipient of the Leung Roy Family Endowed Chair. The chair was established by Fred Hutch patient Yin Ling Leung and husband Shaibal Roy to accelerate the pace of pancreatic cancer research. Kugel’s work investigates molecular drivers of cancer to target with immunotherapy, and she is preparing to launch a clinical trial later this year with medical oncologist Rachael Safyan, MD, director of the Clinical Research GI Oncology Program.
Dr. Kate Markey named next Innovators Network Endowed Chair
Kate Markey, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, a bone marrow transplant physician and assistant professor at Fred Hutch, is the next holder of the Innovators Network Endowed Chair. Markey’s research studies how bacteria in the gut affects patients’ recovery after receiving a bone marrow transplant or cellular immunotherapy. Support from the chair will further her research to prevent or ease serious complications that can follow these treatments.
Science Spotlight
Science Spotlight is a monthly installment of articles written by postdoctoral fellows that summarize new research papers from Fred Hutch scientists. If you’re interested in learning more or covering these topics, contact media@fredhutch.org.
- Better mitochondrial function may prevent muscle wasting for cancer patients
- Autoantibodies in schizophrenia – is the immune system attacking the brain?
- Helping veterans quit smoking: new web program shows promise in usability study
- Low antibody levels after vaccination flag who's most vulnerable to severe COVID-19
- A hidden vulnerability in pancreatic cancer opens the door to targeting an “undruggable” oncogene
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Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fred Hutch Cancer Center is globally recognized for trailblazing discoveries that have helped save more than a million lives worldwide. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only NCI-designated cancer center in Washington state and is home to Nobel Prize–winning scientists and cancer care experts who have made major breakthroughs in preventing and eliminating cancer and infectious disease — including bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy and the HPV vaccine. Fred Hutch’s role as a hub for national research initiatives and clinical trial networks helps scale discoveries for greater impact. An independent cancer center, Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program. Learn more at FredHutch.org.