Cancer Archives

Long-term ultrasound testing may not be needed for older women with stable ovarian cysts

May 2, 2024

Low risk of ovarian cancer seen in new Kaiser Permanente study can provide reassurance to patients and physicians.

Breast cancer survivors see cardiovascular benefit from heart-healthy diet

April 17, 2024

Women who had a heart-healthy diet at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis had a lower risk of going on to develop heart disease, new Kaiser Permanente research shows.

Patients with low muscle quantity and quality are at higher risk of surgery complications

April 10, 2024

Computed tomography (CT) scans required prior to surgery contain information about patient frailty that can be used to identify the patients at highest risk for surgical complications, new Kaiser Permanente research shows.

HER2-low breast tumors may be a distinct breast cancer subtype

March 22, 2024

New Kaiser Permanente study adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests tumors that produce low levels of the HER2 protein may have unique biological characteristics.

National Cancer Institute selects Kaiser Permanente for new Cancer Screening Research Network

February 21, 2024

The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, selected Kaiser Permanente Northern California as one of the institutions to launch a new national clinical trials network to evaluate emerging technologies for cancer screening.

Analysis reveals genetic clues to basal cell carcinoma risk

January 10, 2024

A large genetic analysis by Kaiser Permanente investigators identified 122 variations in the human genome related to basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 36 of them new.

Improving care for patients with advanced cancer

January 3, 2024

Specialized prompts integrated into patients’ electronic medical records can improve how medical oncologists discuss and document treatment goals for their advanced cancer patients, new Kaiser Permanente research shows.

Early-career researchers embrace unique opportunity to improve health care

December 11, 2023

The Division of Research is currently hosting one of its largest groups of postdoctoral research fellows.

Investigating racial disparities in cancer treatment response

November 17, 2023

Research Scientist Lori Sakoda, PhD, is working with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and University of Rochester to study racial and ethnic differences in treatment response to a type of immunotherapy.

Reframing the conversation on weight and cancer survivorship

October 24, 2023

In this episode of KP Research Radio, DOR Research Scientists Bette Caan, DrPH, and Elizabeth Cespedes Feliciano, ScD, explain why it’s important to include body composition in cancer research.

National Academy of Medicine selects Elizabeth Cespedes Feliciano as Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar

October 3, 2023

Kaiser Permanente research scientist who studies modifiable risk factors for obesity and cancer-related metabolic diseases is one of 10 early- to mid-career professionals chosen for the class of 2023.

Drinking alcohol not likely to increase risk of a breast cancer recurrence

August 9, 2023

A new Kaiser Permanente study may help oncologists answer a common question from breast cancer survivors: Is it safe for me to drink alcohol?

Kaiser Permanente research included in national clinical oncology conference

July 7, 2023

Investigators from the Division of Research and physicians from The Permanente Medical Group presented research on topics ranging from care delivery to cancer survivorship at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology conference.

Mammography AI may have a role in breast cancer risk prediction

June 6, 2023

Artificial intelligence algorithms used to read mammograms were a better predictor of a woman’s future breast cancer risk than a commonly used risk assessment tool.

Treating common stomach bacteria reduces risk of stomach cancer

May 2, 2023

Kaiser Permanente reports findings from the first large community-based study in the U.S. to assess the effect of H. pylori treatment on stomach cancer incidence.

5 Questions for…Betty Suh-Burgmann

March 3, 2023

Kaiser Permanente physician researcher Betty Suh-Burgmann established a new standardized approach for assessing ovarian cancer risk that prevents patients from having unnecessary surgery.

Cancer diagnosis hastens aging in women

January 19, 2023

Kaiser Permanente study finds postmenopausal women with cancer report a greater decline in physical function than women who have not had cancer.

Smoking increases risk of bladder cancer recurrence

November 30, 2022

Kaiser Permanente “Be-Well” study finds long-term history of smoking cigarettes increases the risk of a cancer recurrence in people who have been treated for bladder cancer.

Podcast: Improving lung cancer survival

November 16, 2022

In this episode of KP Research Radio, Lori Sakoda, PhD, a research scientist at the Division of Research, and Jeff Velotta, MD, a thoracic surgeon with The Permanente Medical Group, discuss early lung cancer detection, ways to promote equitable lung cancer care, and Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s regionalized lung cancer care program.

Improving care for cancer patients

October 3, 2022

Two new papers detail how Kaiser Permanente oncology care teams restructured processes to enhance care for patients with breast and lung cancer.

Home-delivered, medically tailored meals may benefit recently hospitalized patients with heart failure

August 25, 2022

A new Kaiser Permanente study finds promise in ‘food as medicine’ delivery for some — but not all — patients with chronic conditions.

Bette Caan joins global Cancer Grand Challenges team

June 16, 2022

Caan joins a team of researchers who have received a $25 million Cancer Grand Challenges award to tackle the challenge of cachexia — a debilitating wasting condition people often experience in the later stages of their cancer.

Cancer biopsy during colonoscopy doesn’t start new tumors

May 26, 2022

Kaiser Permanente clinical research finds patients who have a site biopsied after a suspected cancer is biopsied are not more likely to develop a second cancer.

New radiology reporting system decreased time to pancreatic cancer diagnoses

April 27, 2022

A new Kaiser Permanente study shows that having radiologists use standardized terms and hashtags to describe what they see creates a clearer path for physician follow-up that can lead to earlier detection of pancreatic cancer.

Gene tied to breast cancer treatment outcomes identified

March 24, 2022

Study led by Kaiser Permanente research scientist Lawrence H. Kushi, ScD, will help advance precision cancer care.

Exercise and diet key in new, updated guideline for cancer survivors

March 16, 2022

Kaiser Permanente research scientists Lawrence H. Kushi, ScD, and Bette Caan, DrPH, contribute to new American Cancer Society survivorship guideline.

Podcast: Telemedicine can improve cancer care

March 9, 2022

KP Research Radio explores how oncologists used phone and video appointments to expand care options for cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colorectal cancer screening program erases disparities in outcomes

February 23, 2022

Regional program eliminated disparities in colorectal cancer death rates between Black and white members in Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Potential method to help assess prognosis for metastatic colorectal cancer discovered

November 29, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study led by Minggui Pan, MD, PhD, and Laurel Habel, PhD, suggests ties among mutation type, tumor location, and survival.

$Image for Spinal fractures in breast cancer survivors often tied to bone metastases story$

Spinal fractures in breast cancer survivors often tied to bone metastases

November 23, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study by Joan Lo, MD, and Marilyn Kwan, PhD, suggests studies that follow breast cancer survivors over time should differentiate between fracture types.

Diverse new class of postdoctoral fellows adds to research strength

October 19, 2021

The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research postdoctoral research program drew one of its largest-ever classes of fellows this year, building the strength of DOR’s research portfolio. Seven fellows cover fields from diet to dementia, cancer to clinical informatics, to women’s and children’s health, and more.

Kaiser Permanente researcher will co-lead $32.7 million colorectal cancer screening study

October 1, 2021

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded study will be co-led by research scientist and gastroenterologist Theodore R. Levin, MD, and focus on older adults with low-risk polyps.

Head and neck cancer patients benefit from patient-reported outcome surveys

August 18, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study shows survey tools routinely used in clinical trials can be successfully integrated into electronic medical records.

For stomach cancer patients, a regionalized cancer care program can improve survival

August 2, 2021

New study describes how patients and physicians benefitted when Kaiser Permanente Northern California established a virtual, multidisciplinary gastric cancer team.

Kaiser Permanente researchers and physicians take part in leading clinical oncology conference

June 22, 2021

Research presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting amplified the ways the Division of Research and The Permanente Medical Group advance cancer care.

5 Questions for…Elizabeth Cespedes Feliciano

May 25, 2021

Kaiser Permanente research scientist uses her expertise in epidemiology and nutrition to improve outcomes for cancer patients and enhance their survivorship.

Sarcoma patients benefit when expert team develops treatment plan

April 14, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study by adjunct investigator and oncologist/hematologist Minggui Pan, MD, PhD, quantifies impact of a virtual tumor board for rare type of cancer.

Douglas Corley elected to prestigious Association of American Physicians

April 8, 2021

The Association of American Physicians announced it has inducted Kaiser Permanente research scientist and gastroenterologist Douglas Corley, MD, PhD, MPH, into its honorary medical society.

American Indian, Alaska Native women less likely to start and complete hormone therapy for breast cancer

February 23, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study, believed to be the first to look at hormone therapy initiation and adherence in this population, suggests lower rates of use may be contributing to higher breast cancer death rates.

Unique genetic factors and ancestry, along with lifestyle, influence skin cancer risk

December 14, 2020

People can look to the Northern European side of their genetic heritage for increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer, according to the first large analysis of genetic risk factors for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in diverse populations with European ancestry from Kaiser Permanente researchers.

Easy-to-implement intervention reduced prostate cancer screening in men 70 and over

November 5, 2020

Kaiser Permanente research found a computerized alert that notifies health care providers when a prostate cancer screening test is not recommended improved adherence to PSA screening guidelines.

Standardized reporting of chest CT scans improves odds of early lung cancer diagnosis

November 4, 2020

Kaiser Permanente study finds new classification and automated referral system benefits patients.

Home recovery after surgery is now a mainstay for mastectomy patients

October 26, 2020

In this new episode of KP Research Radio, we talk with Brooke Vuong, MD, a breast cancer surgeon at the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, about her research on the Surgical Home Recovery Program and the impact the program has had on her patients.

Helping patients make informed decisions about prostate cancer screening

September 17, 2020

Listen to our new KP Research Radio episode and learn more about the risks and benefits of the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer.

Earlier start to HIV treatment may reduce long-term risk of some cancers

August 27, 2020

New research from Kaiser Permanente that followed a large number of people living with HIV over 15 years finds reduced risk of certain cancers is among the benefits of early treatment.

5 Questions for… Marvin Langston

July 28, 2020

Early career researcher Marvin Langston, PhD, MPH, studies potential links between infections, inflammation, and cancer as well as racial/ethnic and sexual minority health disparities.

Early colorectal cancer screening benefits African Americans

July 20, 2020

Kaiser Permanente researchers showed starting annual colorectal cancer screening at age 45 in African Americans can find colorectal cancers at a rate similar to that seen when screening starts after age 50 — the age most guidelines currently recommend.

Kaiser Permanente researchers develop new prostate cancer risk calculator

July 13, 2020

A new prostate cancer risk calculator developed by Kaiser Permanente Northern California researchers may help men going through prostate cancer screening decide whether to have a prostate biopsy.

5 Questions for… Stephen Van Den Eeden

June 24, 2020

Research scientist Stephen Van Den Eeden, PhD, is a co-founder of the California Men’s Health Study, one of the largest and longest-running cohort studies of men in the world.

Breast tissue inflammation and breast cancer: What’s the connection?

June 9, 2020

Kaiser Permanente researcher receives $4.5 million from the National Cancer Institute to study link between inflammation in the breast’s fatty tissue and breast cancer outcomes.

COVID-19 pandemic brings telehealth center stage for oncologists and their patients

May 4, 2020

A new Kaiser Permanente research paper explains how Kaiser Permanente Northern California quickly ramped up its existing telehealth oncology program at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Baer, MD: A passion for cancer research

March 2, 2020

David Baer, MD, cofounded the KP Oncology Clinical Trials program in the 1980s. He has enrolled significant numbers of patients in these trials, and helped expand the regional effort into a national KP program. As a leading member of the Northern California Central Research Committee for most of his career, he provides valuable experience in the practicality of research within Kaiser Permanente.

Women with colorectal cancer fare better if they have social support

January 23, 2020

New research from Kaiser Permanente finds that post-menopausal women with colorectal cancer were more likely to die from their disease or from any cause if they had low social support before diagnosis.

More metastatic prostate cancers found after change in screening guidelines

December 10, 2019

In the years after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against PSA-based screening in all men, many fewer men were diagnosed with prostate cancer but more were found to have advanced cancers, according to a large Kaiser Permanente study published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Body fatness affects chemo dosages, contributing to increased risk of breast cancer death

December 5, 2019

Women with greater adiposity, or body fatness, were significantly less likely to receive all of the recommended chemotherapy dose to treat their breast cancer, and they were subsequently 30% more likely to die from the disease as a result, according to research published in JAMA Oncology.

KP Research Radio: A promising treatment for ovarian cancer

October 7, 2019

5 Questions for…Dr. Michael A. Bookman, co-leader of a clinical trial that could provide an important new treatment option for women with advanced gynecological cancers.

Medical imaging rates continue to rise despite push to reduce their use

September 3, 2019

Despite a broad campaign among physician groups to reduce the amount of imaging in medicine, the rates of use of CT, MRI and other scans have continued to increase in both the United States and Ontario, Canada, according to a new study of more than 135 million imaging exams.

Kaiser Permanente research shows mastectomy patients recover safely at home

August 7, 2019

A study in Annals of Surgical Oncology finds that the rate of home recovery after mastectomy increased from 23% regionwide to 61% in the 6 months after the program started, with no significant changes in emergency-department visits, reoperations, or readmissions.

Body composition linked to cardiovascular risk in breast cancer survivors

August 1, 2019

Body composition, especially excess central adiposity or intra-abdominal fat, can result in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in normal-weight breast cancer survivors, a large new Kaiser Permanente study shows.

Use of CT scans during pregnancy increased in U.S. and Canada over 2 decades

July 24, 2019

A large, multicenter study of advanced medical imaging in pregnancy, published in JAMA Network Open and co-led by Marilyn Kwan, PhD, found that CT scans were performed in 0.8% of pregnancies in the United States and 0.4% in Ontario in 2016; these rates increased nearly fourfold in the United States and doubled in Ontario over the 21 years.

New study data suggests revising heart disease management guidelines for colon cancer survivors

May 16, 2019

“This study demonstrates the importance at every BMI level of having more precise measures of muscle and fat to help identify those patients who are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” said co-author Bette J. Caan, DrPH.

“I Owe My Life to the Test”

March 20, 2019

Coinciding with Colon Cancer Awareness Month (March), Kaiser Permanente Northern California received the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s prestigious “80% by 2018” National Achievement Award, in recognition of screening rates over 83 percent for colorectal cancer.

5 Questions for…Bette Caan

March 18, 2019

Does weight gain — or loss — change a breast cancer patient’s cancer outcome? What about muscle mass? Epidemiologist Bette Caan wanted to find out about that, and more.

Work by the Division of Research Makes Top JAMA Lists for 2018

January 14, 2019

The JAMA Network, the publication home for numerous top-tier journals from the American Medical Association, released a list of the “Most Talked About Articles” in each of their various publications for 2018. DOR research appears on four lists.

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Kaiser Permanente Study Finds 10-Year Follow-up Interval After Negative Colonoscopies Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Mortality

December 17, 2018

Ten years after a negative colonoscopy, Kaiser Permanente members had 46 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with and were 88 percent less likely to die from colorectal cancer compared with those who did not undergo colorectal cancer screening.

Mentorship Comes Full Circle for Gastroenterologist Jeffrey Lee

December 12, 2018

Building on years of collaboration, a doctor crosses the San Francisco Bay to continue his work on colorectal cancer prevention with the research team of his mentor.

Studying Life After Breast Cancer

October 18, 2018

When Sandra Domingue attends her regular fitness class at the Bayview Hunter’s Point YMCA in San Francisco, she’s not thinking about how her time at the gym, which includes both socializing and exercise, could help her live longer.

A Better Way to Assess Ovarian Cancer Risk

October 10, 2018

New radiology guidelines developed by Kaiser Permanente gynocological oncologist and researcher Betty Suh-Burgman, MD, allow women at higher risk for ovarian cancer to be promptly referred for surgical evaluation while women at low risk can safely avoid surgery.

5 Questions for…Candyce Kroenke

October 1, 2018

“As long as I can remember, my family was interested in how diet and lifestyle influenced health and longevity. It was like living life according to an epidemiological textbook!”

Kaiser Permanente Receives $7 Million to Better Identify Those at Risk of Getting Cancer

August 24, 2018

A research team at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research has been awarded $7 million that will allow them to assess three different methods for acquiring and acting on family history, from initial acquisition to final results.

Integrated Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Saves Lives

August 8, 2018

Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California are 52 percent less likely to die from colorectal cancer since the health care system launched a comprehensive, organized screening program, according to a new study in the specialty’s top journal, Gastroenterology.

5 Questions for… Marilyn Kwan

August 6, 2018

Marilyn Kwan’s research focuses on how wellness factors affect survivorship in breast and bladder cancer patients. Kwan is a certified CrossFit Level 1 trainer; she hopes to some day conduct lifestyle research involving CrossFit in cancer survivors.

Making Mindfulness Feasible for Cancer Patients and Caregivers

July 10, 2018

Kaiser Permanente research scientist and yoga teacher Ai Kubo harnesses a popular smartphone app to fulfill her longtime goal of spreading the benefits of mindfulness scientifically.

Division of Research’s Theodore Levin, MD, honored for colorectal cancer screening program

May 7, 2018

DOR’s Theodore (TR) Levin, MD, is one of four recipients of The Permanente Medical Group’s 2018 Sidney R. Garfield Exceptional Contribution Awards, for pioneering efforts to expand colorectal cancer screening.

Rare Cancer Carefully Tracked and Treated

April 26, 2018

Technology allows a panel of urologists and oncologists to provide the most up-to-date treatment for every single person with testicular cancer at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

NCI Funds New 5-year, $16M, Program to Understand Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening

April 26, 2018

Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research will lead a consortium evaluating colorectal cancer as part of the NCI’s Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process program.

Muscle and Fat: How They Affect the Survival of Patients with Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer

April 5, 2018

New Kaiser Permanente study shows a better identification of low muscle and high fat might lead to better outcomes A...

5 Questions for… Doug Corley

March 13, 2018

Kaiser Permanente gastroenterologist answers 5 questions about his research into colon cancer, what sparked his interest, and things about the colon you may never have known.

Urban American-Indian and Alaskan Natives May Have Lower Survival Following Invasive Prostate and Breast Cancer

December 1, 2017

Compared with the non-Hispanic white (NHW) population, the urban American-Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) community was more likely to have lower survival rates following invasive prostate and breast cancer, according to results published by Kaiser Permanente researchers and colleagues in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

World’s Most Impactful Researchers List Includes Kaiser Permanente Northern California Scientist and Oncologist

November 30, 2017

Alan Go, MD, of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, and Kaiser Permanente Northern California oncologist Louis Fehrenbacher, MD, are among the less than 400 people named as Highly Cited Researchers in clinical medicine for 2017 by Clarivate Analytics. The annual list recognizes investigators whose research ranks in the top 1 percent most cited works in their field, indicating exceptional scientific impact.

Delivery Science fellowship powers nuanced cancer care research

October 31, 2017

Patients with cancer often face barriers to optimal care, and Devon Check, PhD, a second-year Delivery Science Fellow in the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, seeks to understand these hurdles inside and out.

Translating Research Into Improved Women’s Health Care

June 14, 2017

Elizabeth “Betty” Suh-Burgmann, MD, says her latest research project was “born out of frustration with the state of affairs” for managing adnexal masses in women. Like gynecological oncologists across the nation, she saw many women at her Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek practice undergo surgeries to determine whether small masses in their ovaries were benign or cancerous.

For Patients With Positive Fecal Screening Test, Sooner is Better for Follow-Up Colonoscopy

April 26, 2017

The risk of colorectal cancer increased significantly when colonoscopy was delayed by more than nine months following a positive fecal...

Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit from Vitamin D, Social Ties

March 20, 2017

Studies of breast cancer survivors by Division of Research scientists showed lower risks of disease recurrence and mortality among women...

Kaiser Permanente Study Shows Women with More Social Connections Have Higher Breast Cancer Survival Rates

December 11, 2016

In a large Kaiser Permanente study of women with invasive breast cancer, socially integrated women — those with the most...

Kaiser Permanente Adopts Recommended Preventive Procedure for Ovarian Cancer Without Adversely Affecting Surgical Outcomes

July 11, 2016

A surgical procedure recommended to reduce the future risk of ovarian cancer has been successfully implemented throughout Kaiser Permanente in...

Jazz Diva of DOR finds her Ninth Muse

March 9, 2015

Opie Bellas is back, and she’s assembled an international treasure trove of songs that she interprets with the exquisite taste,...

Maintaining weight is a healthy focus for women with breast cancer

August 13, 2014

Women with breast cancer who maintained their weight were less likely to report changes in their physical abilities following diagnosis,...

Earlier Antiretroviral Therapy Might Reduce the Burden of Cancer in Those with HIV

December 21, 2011

HIV-infected patients are at increased risk for cancer as a result of both their impaired immune system and lifestyle factors,...

In one form of breast cancer, higher breast tissue density is linked to higher risk of later breast cancer

January 21, 2011

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Division of Research have found that patients with a very early form of breast...

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