Unlocking the secrets of curing cancer
Cancer research and clinical advances come at a critical moment as cancer incidence continues to rise
Letter from the Dean
Hippocrates first used the term carcinos, which means crab, around 400 BC to describe the shape of a tumor as it spread. Later, carcinos would become cancer, a Latin translation and the word we still use today.
The word cancer quickly spread outside medical treatises to describe something evil or threatening, a manifestation that devours and corrupts. However medieval that sounds today, it speaks to the fear the word evokes, and for most of human history, wasn’t far from the truth. Cancer was, too often, a death sentence.

Today, that is not necessarily the case. Some cancers — albeit not all — are curable. And for those cancers that aren’t, researchers continue to unlock their secrets, relentlessly pursuing treatments that make it possible for people to live with cancer for many years. In 2024 alone, Stanford Medicine researchers announced numerous exciting discoveries and successes.
Those discoveries are expanding our understanding of what drives many cancers, describing novel ways to trick cancers into self-destructing, and exploring the importance of the tumor microenvironment. In the past year, Stanford Medicine was the first center in the nation to use a cell-based therapy to treat a solid tumor. And in November, a clinical trial reported startling results for a cell therapy to combat diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, one of the most lethal childhood brain cancers. Of the 11 participants, nine saw improvement, including one whose tumor disappeared from brain scans.
These research and clinical advances come at a critical moment.
The national and global incidence of cancer continues to rise: We see four new cases every minute in the United States — crossing the threshold of 2 million cases a year for the first time in 2024.
Those statistics are the impetus for Stanford Medicine to push the existing boundaries of research and discovery.
We have an incredible legacy of innovation in cancer research and care, dating back nearly 70 years when Stanford scientists built the Western Hemisphere’s first linear accelerator to treat cancer. It is now the backbone of radiation therapy used worldwide. In 1994, Stanford Medicine faculty invented the minimally invasive CyberKnife — a robotic system designed to treat brain, spine and numerous other cancers. In 2016, Stanford researchers significantly improved the sensitivity of liquid biopsies to more easily and accurately detect cancer in blood.
The faculty, staff and trainees at the Stanford Cancer Institute continue to build on that foundation to redefine what is possible in cancer care. We envision bringing life-saving therapies developed at Stanford Medicine to patients worldwide. Closer to home, we have an expanding network of facilities and partnerships across the San Francisco Bay Area, increasing access to cutting-edge treatment.
We aspire for every patient to have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials, enabling us to diversify trials, advance research, discover better treatments and heal more patients.
This issue of Stanford Medicine magazine explores the exciting progress occurring in cancer research and innovation across our campus and health systems. In these pages, you’ll encounter stories of ingenuity, dedication and courage. You’ll also discover hope, which might be the greatest gift we can offer cancer patients.
Sincerely,
Lloyd Minor, MD
Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of Stanford School of Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs at Stanford University
Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery