Mass General Brigham Researchers Make Their 2025 Cancer Predictions

"I anticipate we are going to see continued breakthroughs and growth in immunotherapy for cancer, particularly with FDA approvals and commercialization of cell therapies for solid tumors. The field is also poised to make great strides in using these technologies for other conditions, like autoimmune diseases."

Bryan Choi, MD, PhD
Investigator, Department of Neurosurgery
Massachusetts General Hospital

"I predict novel discoveries and innovative strategies for early cancer detection and cancer prevention will dramatically impact patient care in the coming year. With the proven success of immunotherapy for cancer treatment, there is an emerging interest in utilizing the patient’s own immune system for cancer prevention, especially in high-risk populations. This area of research is expanding rapidly and will likely generate actionable targets for investigations in patients."

Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD
Investigator, Mass General Cancer Center
Massachusetts General Hospital

"The current standard for treating patients with clinical stage 2 or 3 triple-negative breast cancer is to administer chemotherapy in addition to immunotherapy prior to surgery. This combination therapy leads to a better response than chemotherapy alone. However, immunotherapy comes with added toxicities that can lead to lifelong complications. In 2025, I anticipate significant progress will be made in identifying biomarkers in a patient’s peripheral immune system that will help determine which patients require the addition of immunotherapy and those who will do well with chemotherapy alone. This would be an important step in further personalizing breast cancer care and reducing long-term side effects."

Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD, MHCM
Investigator, Department of Surgery
Brigham and Women’s Hospital 

"In basic research, single cell technologies have been advancing at an accelerated pace. In 2025, I believe we will likely see major breakthroughs in spatial transcriptomics and sub-cellular high-resolution imaging, particularly in the context of embryo development and understanding of cancer progression and resistance."

Raul Mostoslavsky, PhD
Investigator, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research
Massachusetts General Hospital

"I believe we will see a greater focus on the long-term impact of multiple environmental factors on disease states, such as cancer development processes. There is a misconception that many non-hereditary diseases, such as non-hereditary cancer, are the result of short-term risk factor exposure. I think that research in the coming year will shift focus on the long-term impacts of multiple disease-causing factors."

Shuji Ogino, MD, PhD, MS
Chief of Molecular Pathological Epidemiology Program, Department of Pathology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital