Dana-Farber Study Highlights the Need for Faster, More Accurate Diagnosis of Rare Cancer

A new study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute finds that patients with NUT carcinoma (NC), an aggressive squamous cell lung or head and neck cancer, often face delays in diagnosis—delays that can prevent them from receiving the right treatment or joining clinical trials.

December 8, 2025
3 min

Dana-Farber

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NUT carcinoma is an aggressive cancer often misdiagnosed, leading to treatment delays and reduced access to clinical trials.
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The average time from biopsy to diagnosis of NUT carcinoma is 7 weeks, with some patients waiting over a year.
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Nearly 80% of NUT carcinoma cases are initially misdiagnosed, often as non-small cell lung cancer or other common cancers.
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NUT carcinoma affects about 1,400 people annually in the U.S. and has a median survival of less than seven months.
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The study advocates for classifying NUT carcinoma as a squamous cancer to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes.

Dana-Farber Study Highlights the Need for Faster, More Accurate Diagnosis of Rare Cancer

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Original Source(s)

Dana-Farber Study Highlights the Need for Faster, More Accurate Diagnosis of Rare Cancer

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