What elements of our environment are carcinogenic? What role do factors like age, diet, and genetics play? And because cancer is biological in nature, many of us tend to think about the individual and their body as an obvious point of focus. What about, though, the larger, societal picture? That’s what Dr. Scarlett Gomez and the field of social epidemiology are working to uncover and what you’ll hear about in this latest episode ..read more

In the latest episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, Dr. Ian Krop discusses his team’s work to advance clinical trials through—including one to test immunotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer. A BCRF investigator since 2017, Dr. Krop is the chief clinical research officer and associate cancer center director for clinical research at the Yale Cancer Center. Dr. Krop also currently serves as chief scientific officer for the BCRF-supported Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium ..read more

Why are Black women 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women? And why is it such a challenge to make clinical trials reflect everyone who faces breast cancer? That’s what Dr. Sonya Reid and her team are working to uncover by addressing disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment through research. Dr. Reid is an assistant professor of hematology/oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her three-year Conquer Cancer–BCRF grant was made possible by The Estée Lauder Companies' Charitable Foundation Awards ..read more

About 30 percent of people diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will experience a recurrence and develop metastatic disease. Dr. Christina Curtis and her colleagues are working to uncover why recurrence (when breast cancer comes back) and metastasis (when it spreads to other areas of the body beyond the breast and lymph nodes) happens. A BCRF investigator since 2011, Dr. Christina Curtis is an endowed professor of medicine and genetics at Stanford University, where she leads the Cancer Computational and Systems Biology group and serves as the director of Breast Cancer Translational Researc ..read more

In the latest episode of BCRF’s official podcast, Investigating Breast Cancer, Dr. Hyman Muss explores the need for more research in the geriatric oncology field. Thanks to Dr. Muss and others, much has been learned about breast cancer in elderly people—but there’s still much more to uncover. A BCRF investigator since 2000, Dr. Muss is professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and director of the Geriatric Oncology Program at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center ..read more

What is triple-negative breast cancer and how is it identified? How can triple-negative breast cancers escape the immune system? And how can determining whether circulating tumor DNA in blood samples be used to predict metastatic breast cancer or treatment resistance in patients with aggressive disease? BCRF investigator since 2007, Dr. Hope Rugo answers these questions and many more on the latest episode of Investigating Breast Cancer ..read more

Many extraordinary new treatments, diagnostic tests, and procedures for breast cancer patients have been introduced in the past decade—and more are needed and sure to come. But researchers are still exploring ways to improve health disparities in cancer care delivery, quality of care, and quality of life for patients and thrivers. In this latest episode, we spoke to BCRF Investigator since 2008, Dr. Dawn Hershman, on ways to shrink these gaps in care ..read more

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) makes up about 15 percent of all the breast cancers diagnosed. And, better therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to treat this breast cancer subtype. BCRF Investigator, Dr. Elisa Port is working to combat drug resistance in TNBC by developing a drug for the protein PRKCQ—a promising therapeutic target that may make TNBC more responsive to chemotherapy ..read more

Can cancers resulting from lifestyle choices be preventable? What foods should you be eating to reduce your risk of breast cancer? And what non-lifestyle decisions should be considered when looking to reduce their risk? Dr. Graham Colditz, a BCRF investigator since 2004, has spent decades diving into these questions and more. Dr. Colditz is an internationally recognized leader in cancer prevention. As an epidemiologist and public health expert, he has a longstanding interest in the preventable causes of chronic disease, particularly among women. He is also interested in strategies to speed tra ..read more

BCRF’s annual Boston Hot Pink Luncheon and Symposium convenes the Foundation’s dedicated New England–based supporters to honor the area’s investigators and raise additional funds for lifesaving breast cancer research. This year’s virtual program included an outstanding expert panel of BCRF investigators, moderated by BCRF Scientific Director Dr. Judy Garber. The panelists discussed novel breast cancer therapies and what’s on the horizon in research. The symposium panelists included Dr. Melinda Irwin, Dr. Elizabeth Mittendorf, and Dr. Dennis Sgroi. We’re proud to make their discussion available ..read more