News | Obstetrics & Gynecology

Programs and providers of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine are often the focus of news stories and features appearing in major national media. We invite you to review some stories that typify the breakthrough accomplishments of our remarkable team and highlight the impact our care has had on patient’s lives.

PSA Levels Alone May Not Reflect Prostate Cancer Growth

Patients with advanced prostate cancer may need periodic imaging scans to catch tumor growth even with stable levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein in the blood that doctors routinely monitor for cancer progression, according to an analysis led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Duke University. In some cases, cancer progression was detected on scans even when PSA levels were undetectable.

The recent study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, analyzed data from more than 2,500 men enrolled in two multinational phase 3 clinical trials testing enzalutamide to slow or stop tumor growth in patients with advanced prostate cancer. This drug targets the androgen receptor, a protein that prostate cancer cells use to receive growth signals from male hormones such as testosterone. The trials (ARCHES and PROSPER) assessed cancer spread or growth on imaging scans, alongside changes in PSA levels during treatment. The researchers examined cases of radiographic progression—when cancer growth or spread is detected by imaging such as X-rays, CT scans or bone scans.

Rare Stem T Cells May Hold the Key to Fighting Chronic Diseases

T cells are an elite fighting force of the immune system, seeking out and destroying diseased cells. But in a prolonged campaign against a chronic condition — like a viral infection, or cancer — the body needs a steady supply of these killer troops. Where and how these killer troops are generated has been a mystery.

That led a team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to dig deeper. They found that a small subset of T cells, called stem T cells, are responsible for making new T cells and for continuously replenishing them in chronic disease. Importantly, these rare stem T cells express a protein called LEF1.

The team’s findings in laboratory models, published July 1 in Cell, showed that focusing on this population of LEF1-positive T cells is key. Boosting LEF1-positive cells overcame T cell “exhaustion” in the case of chronic infection. And removing them was successful in reining in overactive immune cells in the case of type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease.

2026 Excellence in Medical Education Awards

More than 30 Weill Cornell Medicine faculty and staff were honored June 25 with Excellence in Medical Education Awards at a ceremony held on campus.

“It is an honor to celebrate the accomplishments of our honorees for their extraordinary contributions to the education mission and for making the Weill Cornell Medical College experience exceptional for our students,” said Dr. Joseph Safdieh, the Richard P. Cohen, M.D. Senior Associate Dean for Education at Weill Cornell Medicine, who presented the awards, which are given at the end of each academic year.