Weill Cornell Medicine

Cancer treatment is entering a new era—one that can empower your immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

Today, immunotherapy is used to treat many types of cancer, including melanoma, lung cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, and tumors with high numbers of genetic mutations.

Depending on the treatment, it may be delivered through an IV infusion, injection, pill, or other methods.

Researchers continue to explore new immunotherapy approaches through clinical trials, expanding the types of cancers that may benefit from these treatments and improving outcomes for patients.

Here’s What We Know:
- Immunotherapy has become a standard treatment for some cancers and is being studied for many others.
- Some immunotherapies can produce long-lasting responses in certain patients, although results vary by cancer type and individual.
- Combining immunotherapy with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other treatments may improve effectiveness for some cancers.
- Continued research and clinical trial participation are essential for developing safer and more effective immunotherapies.

Immunotherapy represents one of the most significant advances in cancer care in recent decades, offering new treatment options and renewed hope for many patients.

With elections just a few months away, you might be dreading the next family function.

You're not alone; 72% of Americans said they wanted to avoid political discussions with family after the 2024 election.

Is it possible to connect despite the division? “You have choices,” says Dr. Daniel Knoepflmacher, psychiatrist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Check out Dr. Knoepflmacher's tips on having constructive conversations and when to walk away.

Today we celebrate the fathers, grandfathers and father figures who lead by example with heart, dedication and wisdom.

Thank you, dads, for all you do as role models, caregivers and mentors!

Shaped by his experiences in the Caribbean, Dr. Ro-Jay Reid has dedicated his career to helping underserved communities.

Dr. Reid, an internal medicine physician at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, grew up in Jamaica with five older brothers and their parents. His mother worked as a home health aide and his father was a police officer, who tragically died in the line of duty when Dr. Reid was a child.

Determined to advance his education, Dr. Reid came to the U.S. for college. In college, a volunteer medical trip to Haiti in the aftermath of a 2010 earthquake put him on the path to medicine.

“We encountered people with untreated diabetes and hypertension. The doctors helped people who otherwise would never have received medical treatment if it weren’t for our group. It was eye-opening and inspired me to want to become a medical doctor.”

As a hospitalist, Dr. Reid sees patients at a time when their health conditions have affected their quality of life.

"What's rewarding is seeing patients improve and sometimes they will say, 'I need to do better with my health,'" he says. "I like being able to share my knowledge and help them live healthier."

Dr. Reid is also committed to research focused on healthy aging. His work explores how social factors, neighborhood environments and access to resources influence health outcomes in older adults with chronic diseases such as heart failure and osteoarthritis.

Dr. Reid and internal medicine leaders have developed a program that links local community members with research fellows to build trust and understanding with the aim of improving health.

“One of my goals is to ensure that community voices inform and shape research. We do this by partnering with communities to understand what matters most to them and translating those insights into meaningful action,” he says.

Dr. Reid's passion for giving a voice to marginalized communities is rooted in the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King.

"He is my role model for his deep moral conviction, strong sense of responsibility, and unwavering commitment to justice," he says. "He exemplified the courage to stand for what is right, even in the face of adversity."

Fascinated by a dissection project in her high school biology class, Dr. Nicole Goulet was captivated and decided then to dedicate herself to her studies with remarkable focus. Her hard work earned her the top spot, and the experience ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.

But she was from a family where no one had gone to college. "I thought, 'I can't be a doctor, let alone a surgeon,'" recalls Dr. Goulet, now a critical care and trauma surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

While in school, Dr. Goulet struggled with how to tell the world she was gay. She finally came out as a medical student, but things did not get easier. Dr. Goulet recalls one instance where a chief resident yelled a gay slur down a hallway at a student.

That experience shook her, but she persevered. She and other LGBTQ+ surgeons formed the (), a national surgical organization dedicated to promoting acceptance, equity, and inclusion for LGBTQ+ professionals in the medical community. Dr. Goulet also mentors students from underrepresented groups to shadow surgeons.

To balance with the stress of the operating room, she uses hiking to decompress and find balance. "Turning off my phone and taking it all in is very relaxing. Obviously it’s hard work as well, but you are in touch with your body, and I just really enjoy that. It’s very freeing."

PCOS has a new name, it’s now PMOS and here’s what we know.

PCOS, or polycystic o***y syndrome, affects 1 in 8 women. It’s received a new name that reflects a better science-based understanding of the disease, PMOS, which stands for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.

PMOS is not only about the ovaries. It’s a complex hormonal disorder affecting reproductive health, cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes, weight gain, mental health, skin health, and more. PMOS can look different in each person.

Dr. Laura Riley, Chief of and comments that “PMOS can affect whether you develop Type 2 diabetes, it can affect your heart. Women will now be able to do things to hopefully change that path if they understand the full scope of the disease.”

Here's What We Know:
- The name change highlights a key factor often overlooked: insulin resistance, which can affect weight, heart health, hormones, and mental health.
- You do NOT need to have ovarian cysts to be diagnosed with PMOS. Other common symptoms include irregular or absent periods, acne, or facial hair growth.
- Signs of PMOS may be present in the early teen years, with opportunities to intervene for young patients at risks, yet many women are diagnosed later, often when facing fertility challenges.

Our experts agree that this new name could lead to better awareness, earlier diagnosis, and more personalized treatment.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4ofBACi

Nonalcoholic beverages are becoming mainstream thanks to their health benefits and delicious flavor.

As spring comes to a close, you can make delicious mocktails at home with these recipes crafted by Weill Cornell Medicine dietitian Rachel Stahl Salzman. Working with a nutritionist helps ensure you are getting the full health benefits tailored to your needs.

Curious about mocktails? Here are some of the health perks:

- Fresh, whole ingredients and waters instead of sugary drinks
- Fewer calories
- Better hydration (sparkling water and coconut water)
- Nutrient boosts
- Disease prevention
- Better sleep

Ready to meet with a dietitian? Schedule an appointment now: https://weillcornell.org/endocrine

Victoria Bueno was working in the fast-paced world of bartending and waitressing when overwhelming fatigue forced her to pause. Needing three naps a day to get through was just the beginning. Rounds of bloodwork and imaging revealed she had Hodgkin lymphoma and heart failure. That’s when her world flipped upside down.

After six rounds of chemotherapy didn’t seem to be working, Victoria’s brother Avi, who works at Weill Cornell Medicine, encouraged her to seek a second opinion. That ultimately led her to meet Dr. Tsiporah Shore, a blood cancer specialist and Associate Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant and Cell Therapy Program at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

"Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that forms when certain white blood cells called lymphocytes grow out of control, usually in lymph nodes that can spread to other organs," explains Dr. Shore.

Victoria switched to a different type of chemotherapy and then underwent a stem cell transplant, which meant spending an entire month in the hospital. To cope with the intense loneliness, she kept her room lively and welcoming, often surrounded by nurses and loved ones.

She married her longtime boyfriend, Keith, who had supported her throughout her health journey. She had always dreamed of becoming a mother, but cancer treatment caused early menopause, making it difficult to use her own eggs. Undeterred, they turned to fertility treatment and with the help of an egg donor, their efforts paid off.

Victoria recently visited Dr. Shore for a follow-up appointment, this time with her baby, Konnor, in her arms. It was a joyful reunion.

Victoria sees her journey to motherhood as proof of the power of positivity, community, and determination. "You’re stronger than you think. Lean on your people and don’t give up," she says.

Weill Cornell Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

More men with prostate cancer are living longer thanks to early detection and better care. But for some, the disease can still become aggressive and life-threatening.

Sometimes prostate cancer stops responding to treatment and Dr. Ekta Khurana wants to find out why. She lost her grandfather to prostate cancer and is dedicating her life to researching the disease.

Dr. Khurana, a computational biologist from Weill Cornell Medicine, investigates the genetic factors that cause the disease. In 2022, her research revealed a subtype of prostate cancer called stem cell-like, or SCL, which accounts for about 30% of all treatment-resistant prostate cancers.

She received a $1.2M government grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to determine whether DNA markers in patients’ blood can predict treatment resistance and identify drugs that may stop the cancer’s growth, but funding was paused in 2025. The pause slowed down the research and impacted her team's work, as well as progress toward potentially better treatment options for patients.

In her lab, Dr. Khurana and her team are using machine learning tools to scan patients’ DNA and identify specific proteins in SCL tumor cells that drive the disease. This approach may help detect treatment resistance in real time.

"This is for the health of the American public," Dr. Khurana said. "We are trying to solve key challenges that the American public faces, so it's the best investment to use our knowledge to develop therapies that will be used for Americans."

The funding has since been restored, allowing her to continue researching prostate cancer therapies, helping patients live longer and giving families more time together.

This story originally appeared in Cornell University's Research Matters.
Check out the video and full story: https://bit.ly/4ufdc53