Every October, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) celebrates groundbreaking advancements in breast cancer research at its annual Symposium and Awards Luncheon in New York City. This special bonus podcast features a panel discussion from this year’s event, focused on prevention and treatment, with BCRF investigators Dr. Abenaa Brewster, Dr. Lisa Carey, and Dr. Robert Vonderheide. Co-moderated by BCRF's Dr. Larry Norton and Dr. Judy E. Garber, who received the Jill Rose Award for Scienti...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 82
Can we prevent breast cancer before it even starts? While treatments have made great strides in curing and slowing cancer, researchers are now focusing on strengthening the immune system to stop cancer in its tracks. In this episode, Dr. Robert Vonderheide, director of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, shares his groundbreaking work on how the immune system interacts with cancer. As a leader in cancer immunology, Dr. Vonderheide explores how boosting our body’s natura...
Nov 26, 2024•28 min•Ep. 81
Differences in treatment delivery and receipt are estimated to account for about 50 percent of the racial disparities seen in breast cancer-associated mortality. In this latest episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, Dr. Lola Fayanju discusses her work to understand how to close this gap. BCRF investigator since 2023, Dr. Fayanju, is an associate professor in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and chief of the division of breast surgery for the University of Pennsy...
Jul 26, 2024•26 min•Ep. 80
In this latest episode, Dr. Jose Pablo Leone discusses the need for a better understanding of male breast cancer to improve treatment options. Dr. Leone is a medical oncologist and clinical investigator in the Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he also serves as the director of the Program for Breast Cancer in Men. Dr. Leone’s research focuses on brain metastases, male breast cancer, and research involving large databases, and he has been a BCRF investigator since 2023...
Jun 13, 2024•25 min•Ep. 79
Dr. Shelley Hwang––BCRF investigator since 2016–– is an experienced clinical trialist with an interest in both the biology and treatment of early-stage breast cancer. In this episode, she discusses the urgent need to better understand Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) and the work she and her team are doing to uncover better treatment options for patients with DCIS.
May 20, 2024•20 min•Ep. 78
In the latest episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, Dr. Adrian Lee discusses collaboration, strategies to improve treatment for ILC, and more. A BCRF investigator since 2013, he is the Pittsburgh Foundation chair and director of the Institute for Precision Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC
Mar 28, 2024•20 min•Ep. 77
In the latest episode, Dr. Rachel Jimenez discusses a new strategy of delivering radiation called proton beam radiation that could reduce treatment time and minimize its damaging effects on the heart. Unlike traditional radiation, proton therapy radiation can target cancer cells specifically, sparing other healthy tissues from potential damage. Dr. Jimenez is an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School and the chair for quality and safety in the department of radiation...
Feb 28, 2024•24 min•Ep. 76
Dr. Laura Esserman talks about her current research that examines how fiber shapes the gut microbiome, potentially improving the response to immune agents in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Her prior research looked at how immune cells in tumors influence tumor response to immune drugs, and she believes the gut microbiome plays a key role in this complex system. A BCRF investigator since 1998, Dr. Esserman is an internationally recognized breast surgeon, breast oncology specialist, and...
Jan 17, 2024•28 min•Ep. 75
In October, BCRF holds its annual New York Symposium and Awards Luncheon. The event recognizes BCRF-supported investigators for their devotion to ending breast cancer and announces the Foundation’s research investment for the coming year. In this special episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, you’ll hear this year’s extraordinary symposium, co-moderated by BCRF Founding Scientific Director Dr. Larry Norton and BCRF Scientific Director Dr. Judy Garber, that included Drs. Seema Khan, Constance D....
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 74
Breast cancer is a profoundly personal disease, and blanket approaches may not work for all patients. In fact, some can avoid particular therapies or treatments altogether. BCRF investigators have played a significant role in developing precision medicine and individualized therapies, improving treatment efficacy and limiting side effects. This is the area where Dr. Roisin Connolly’s work is centered. In this latest episode Dr. Connolly discusses her work to uncover more personalized treatments ...
Nov 15, 2023•32 min•Ep. 73
Since Evelyn H. Lauder and Dr. Larry Norton launched BCRF in 1993 remarkable advances in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and metastasis have been made. But there is still critical work to be done. The Foundation is moving faster and closer than ever to achieving its mission to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world’s most promising research. We spoke with BCRF co-founder and Founding Scientific Director, Dr. Larry Norton to discuss the progress BCRF h...
Sep 26, 2023•38 min•Ep. 72
In this latest episode of Investigating Breast Cancer, Dr. Nora Disis talks about prevention, treatment, breast cancer vaccine research, and more. Her research focuses on identifying ways to boost the immune response in breast cancer patients to improve chemotherapy outcomes. She is working on discovering new molecular immunologic targets in solid tumors to develop vaccines and cellular therapy for treating and preventing breast cancer. Dr. Disis, a BCRF investigator since 2016, is the Athena Di...
Sep 05, 2023•28 min•Ep. 71
There are some technologies that enhance human efforts and abilities and other technologies that make such a drastic impact–– they revolutionize protocol and entire ways of thinking. AI in the healthcare field is one such technology. Scientists like BCRF Investigator, Dr. Regina Barzilay, are working on ways to harness AI to improve how medical professionals interpret mammograms, and finesse and better personalize existing risk prediction models, and tackle disparities in screening and risk asse...
Aug 13, 2023•25 min•Ep. 70
Why have so many individuals who carry BRCA mutations not undergone genetic testing and counseling? How do we eliminate barriers to this lifesaving care? Dr. Susan Domchek talks about her work to tackle these issues and more in the latest episode of BCRF's official podcast, Investigating Breast Cancer.
Jun 23, 2023•24 min•Ep. 69
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.
May 23, 2023•24 min•Ep. 68
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....
Apr 20, 2023•29 min•Ep. 67
The complexities of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) can sometimes make it hard to understand. It’s an aggressive form of breast cancer that is more likely to spread to other tissues––a process called metastasis. BCRF Investigator since 2005, Dr. Jill Bargonetti’s research works to break down some of the complexities of TNBC. Her research has put her at the forefront of how we might develop novel strategies to accurately identify and kill these cells. In this latest episode of Investigating ...
Mar 03, 2023•29 min•Ep. 66
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 Est...
Mar 02, 2023•25 min•Ep. 65
Each October, BCRF holds its annual New York Symposium and Awards Luncheon. The event recognizes BCRF-supported investigators for their devotion to ending breast cancer and announces the Foundation’s research investment for the coming year. This year’s program included an extraordinary symposium, co-moderated by BCRF Founding Scientific Director Dr. Larry Norton and BCRF Scientific Director Dr. Judy Garber, that included Drs. Lisa Newman, Andrew Tutt, and Maria Jasin, who discussed novel breast ...
Dec 19, 2022•59 min•Ep. 64
What are dormant cancer cells and how they lead to a clearer understanding of the cancer in remission? Why do particular cancerous cells behave differently than others? BCRF Investigator since 2017, Dr. Angela DeMichele, discusses her work to uncover the answer to these questions and more.
Nov 22, 2022•28 min•Ep. 63
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 Compu...
Oct 17, 2022•29 min•Ep. 62
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 Ca...
Jul 19, 2022•37 min•Ep. 61
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.
Jun 21, 2022•30 min•Ep. 60
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.
Apr 19, 2022•21 min•Ep. 59
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.
Mar 01, 2022•32 min•Ep. 58
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 ...
Feb 02, 2022•34 min•Ep. 57
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 I...
Dec 21, 2021•28 min•Ep. 56
Effective medicine has always relied on clear and verifiable diagnoses. Of course, for patients, the wait and uncertainty of diagnostics can be especially trying. BCRF investigator since 2019, Dr. Connie Lehman, is among the scientists and practitioners trying to change that. And she’s doing it in myriad ways to drastically reduce wait times and detect cancers earlier. Dr. Lehman is a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, and chief of Breast Imaging and co-director of the Avon Compre...
Dec 08, 2021•31 min•Ep. 55
Can breast cancer be found with a blood test? What role do genes and proteins play in developing cancer? What, exactly, are personalized diagnostics? We spoke with BCRF investigator Dr. Joshua LaBaer to answer these questions and more. Dr. LaBaer is one of the country’s foremost investigators in personalized medicine. He serves as executive director of the Biodesign Institute, director of the Biodesign Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, and the Dalton Endowed Chair of Cancer ...
Nov 12, 2021•27 min•Ep. 54
While academic and medical research has led to incredible breakthroughs in breast cancer care—including new treatments and screening methods—these advances have not reached every patient in every corner of the globe. With breast cancer now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, it’s critical that lifesaving advances are deployed more equitably and universally—especially to women and men in lower-income and -resource countries. Dr. Fadelu discussed his work that lies at the intersection...
Oct 14, 2021•37 min•Ep. 53
