Genetic Markers, Shortened Radiation Focus Of New Breast Cancer Research

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Genetics;  Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Article Date: 05 Sep 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, treatment and prevention options surrounding breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society more than 192,000 women nationwide will be diagnosed with the disease this year, with more than 6,400 new cases expected in New Jersey. And while the disease affects mostly women, men also can be diagnosed with breast cancer. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

CINJ experts available for comment include:

Deborah Toppmeyer, MD, director, Stacy Goldstein Breast Cancer Center; director, LIFE (Ladies Professional Golf Association In the Fight to Eradicate breast cancer) Center at CINJ; and associate professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She can discuss the molecular characteristics of breast cancer and how targeted therapies are helping breast cancer patients improve their quality of life. Dr. Toppmeyer also specializes in young women with breast cancer, a growing population.

Bruce G. Haffty, MD, chair, radiation oncology at CINJ and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and professor and chair, Department of Radiation Oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Sharad Goyal, MD, instructor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, are the lead investigators on a clinical trial that looks at whether partial breast radiation following a lumpectomy provides a better benefit than radiation of the whole breast. The study focuses on a treatment known as Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation, in which patients receive radiation to only a portion of their breast, over a three-week period versus the traditional six or seven.

Kim M. Hirshfield, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at CINJ and assistant professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Hirshfield is the lead investigator of a study examining why some women develop breast cancer at an earlier age than others. The research focuses on the DNA of both healthy women and those with breast cancer to see if genetic markers can be identified.

Thomas Kearney, MD, FACS, director, breast care services; and chief, section of breast surgery, at CINJ; and associate professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Kearney is a surgical oncologist who can discuss the multidisciplinary approach taken at CINJ to removing breast cancer through surgery and the options for breast conservation.

Atif Khan, MD, MS, radiation oncologist at CINJ and assistant professor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Khan leads the department's brachytherapy unit and has a special interest in breast brachytherapy. Brachytherapy involves the placement of radioactive "seeds" or sources directly into or around tumors, allowing for a high dose of radiation where it is needed while sparing other normal tissues.

Antoinette R. Tan, MD, medical oncologist at CINJ and assistant professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Tan is currently the lead investigator on a clinical trial that targets a new treatment combination for the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The study assesses the potential benefits of adding the drug trastuzumab to radiation therapy following breast sparing surgery (lumpectomy) in patients whose DCIS makes too much of the protein known as HER2 (positive). Too much of this protein can cause a normal cell to turn cancerous and make existing cancer cells grow faster. Trastuzumab is considered a targeted therapy against HER2-positive breast cancer.

Dorothy Pierce, APN, advanced practice nurse at CINJ. Ms. Pierce educates her patients on the importance of and how to do breast self-examinations. In women who currently have breast cancer, this practice is considered to be a proactive approach to identifying recurrence at an earlier stage. She also can discuss how breast self exams play a vital role in a female's overall health and how it should be incorporated into a woman's regular routine.

Val Skinner is a retired Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) pro, who was a driving force behind the creation of the LIFE (LPGA In the Fight to Eradicate breast cancer) Center at CINJ following the death of a close friend from breast cancer. The LIFE Center features a multidisciplinary team of medical oncologists, surgeons, genetic counselors, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals to help address the needs of young breast cancer patients. Ms. Skinner can address the benefits of having such a comprehensive team available to both patient and family. She advocates for increased awareness of breast cancer and its symptoms, and of early detection and prevention methods with an emphasis on young women.

Source: Cancer Institute of New Jersey