SEATTLE — Oct. 7, 2026 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch Cancer Center research findings, patient stories and other news.
October is the awareness month for breast and liver cancers. Read our Breast Cancer Awareness Month tip sheet for the latest updates in research and care.
If you’re interested in reporting on any of this month’s stories, contact media@fredhutch.org to set up an interview.
Cancer research
Study uncovers genomic architecture and natural history of metastatic bladder cancer
A new study published in Nature established the foundational landscape of tumor evolution in bladder cancer and differences in the cancer subtypes, which could point toward better diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The study, led by co-senior authors Gavin Ha, PhD, and Andrew Hsieh, MD, used a first-in-kind rapid autopsy program to examine genomic architecture and genetic variations that shape different subtypes of the cancer.
New assay better predicts treatment for two cancers
Fred Hutch researchers Lynn Symonds, MD, Jennifer Specht, MD, Kalyan Banda, MD, Isabel Rodriguez, MD, and Elizabeth Swisher, MD, developed HRDefine, a new clinical test to better serve patients with tubo-ovarian and triple-negative breast cancer. HRDefine builds upon the algorithm HRDetect, which determines a probability score for the two cancers using mutational signatures, and adds whole genome sequencing and clinical data to improve prognoses and suggest effective treatment. The research was published earlier this year in AACR’s Clinical Cancer Research Journal.
Infectious disease research
Study supports effectiveness of RSV preventive antibody treatments for infants and provides new way to monitor viral resistanceAn analysis of more than 60,000 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) sequences from around the world found that viral variants associated with resistance to current RSV prevention tools remain rare. Research published in Nature led by Cassandra Simonich, MD, PhD, support the efficacy of preventive antibodies and vaccines against severe RSV infections in infants and vulnerable populations.
Genetics
Prostate cancer genetics, germline testing and expanding access with Dr. Heather Cheng
In this episode of the Oncology Insights podcast, host Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, FASCO, speaks with Heather Cheng, MD, PhD, clinical director of the Genetics Program, director of the Prostate Cancer Genetics Clinic and holder of the Marty Lazarus Weiden Family Endowed Chair. They discuss how germline and tumor testing inform cancer care, the growing role that telehealth plays in improving access to genetic services and efforts to ensure more people with metastatic prostate cancer can benefit from testing and counseling.
Exploring the health impacts of sickle cell trait
New research published in The American Journal of Human Genetics by Fred Hutch genetic epidemiologists including Alexander Reiner, MD, confirmed a link between sickle cell trait and illnesses including chronic kidney disease, pulmonary embolism and anemia. Their research also highlighted new associations with sickle cell disease, and several sex-based differences in health associations.
When both cancer and courage run in the family
After a breast cancer diagnosis at 26 and a family history of cancer, nurse practitioner Nhu-San Nguyen and her family visited Fred Hutch’s Clinical Genetics and Genetic Counseling Service, revealing they all carried the BRCA2 gene mutation. Nguyen’s sister was later diagnosed with breast cancer during a double-mastectomy consultation, a procedure many with the BRCA2 mutation choose to undergo to prevent the cancer. Along with Rachel Yung, MD, co-director of Fred Hutch’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention Clinic, the Nguyen sisters share the impact of genetic testing and its importance in cancer prevention.
It ends with her
After her mother’s diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, Amanda Swenson underwent genetic testing which revealed the hereditary BRCA2 gene. Following guidelines from the Women’s Wellness Program, Swenson met for regular cancer screening which identified her breast cancer early and led to successful treatment. Following her experience, she has become a vocal advocate for genetic testing and an avid supporter of Richard Adeyemi, DVM, PhD, who studies the BRCA2 gene and ways to exploit vulnerabilities in its tumor cells.
Patient outcomes and support
Living with the long-term side effects of prostate cancer, from sexual to spiritual
In this episode of the Bench to Bedside and Beyond podcast, Fred Hutch News writer Bonnie Rochman talks to James DeLong, who has lived with prostate cancer for 25 years, and Kelly Nelson, DNP, ARNP, director of Fred Hutch’s new Sexual Health Clinic, about how a cancer diagnosis can impact sex life, and comprehensive, individualized support the new clinic provides to patients experience sexual health issues.
Dr. Molly Tokaz on thoracic oncology, veterans' cancer care and educating the next generation
In this episode of the Oncology Insights podcast, Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, FASCO, and Molly Tokaz, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington, discuss her career journey, work in thoracic oncology and the clinical and research collaborations connecting Fred Hutch, UW Medicine, Harborview Medical Center and VA Puget Sound Health Care System. Tokaz serves as co-chair of the Comprehensive Oncology Review Course (CORC), which reviews the latest data, recommendations and advances in hematology and oncology standards of care.
Grants
Fred Hutch and UW MD/PhD candidate wins ARCS leadership award
Alex Doan, an MD/PhD candidate and researcher recieved the Dorothy L. Simpson Leadership Award from the Seattle chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation, which recognizes his pioneering research and community leadership. In the MacPherson Lab, Doan is working to develop a novel immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a rare and aggressive lung cancer subtype. Doan’s work is in glycobiology, a new field of study investigating sugar molecules called glycans that cancer cells use to hide from our immune systems.
Unraveling how immune aging influences health outcomes for survivors of childhood blood cancers
Pediatric immunologist Kavita Dhodapkar, MD, MBBS, received a five-year, $3.7 million R01 from the National Institute on Aging, with University of Alabama at Birmingham co-principal investigator Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, to investigate how immune aging influences health outcomes in pediatric cancer survivors. The award will use samples from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a cohort of long-term survivors of childhood blood cancers, to determine if their immune systems age more rapidly and how this could influence cardiovascular outcomes.
Fred Hutch researchers look at longevity in older women, metabolic signatures of vaginitis
Two Fred Hutch scientists received R01 awards to develop biomarkers for disease diagnosis and risk detection. Epidemiologist Alexander Reiner, MD, MSc, received a $3.5 million award from the National Institute on Aging for investigation of CHIP, a risk factor for chronic disease and mortality in older women that is detectable in blood. Microbiologist Sujatha Srinivasan, PhD, received a five-year, $4.28 million award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a streamlined diagnostic algorithm for vaginitis based on small-molecule metabolites made by vaginal microbes.
A potential game-changer in blood and marrow transplantation
Hematologist Marco Mielcarek, MD, PhD, received a $3.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) U01 collaborative research grant for a clinical trial and research projects to determine the ideal dosage of a drug to prevent graft-vs.-host-disease (GVHD). Funding will allow Mielcarek and collaborators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the City of Hope to complete a dose de-escalation study, which could advance the standard of care for bone marrow transplant recipients and improve quality of life and survival.
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.
- Recurring escape routes reveal patterns in HIV evolution
- A structural blueprint for protection against Dengue and Zika
- From hostile territory to safe home: how lymph nodes evolve during M. tuberculosis infection
- Matching tumors to treatments: An updated roadmap for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
- Structure and sequence fill evolutionary gaps for essential centromeric proteins
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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.