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 natural defenses could lead to new ways to prevent, treat, and even cure breast cancer.

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 Pennsylvania Health System.

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.

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.

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

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 oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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 personalized medicine visionary.

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. Lehman, and Olufunmilayo I. Olopade.

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 for breast cancer patients with triple-negative breast cancer. A BCRF investigator since 2022, Dr. Connolly is the Director and Professor Gerald O’Sullivan Chair in cancer research at University of College Cork and Cork University Hospital in Ireland.

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 has made and what advances are on the horizon. Dr. Norton is Senior Vice President in the Office of the President and Medical Director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is also a Professor of Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medical College. Dr. Norton has dedicated his life to the eradication of cancer through his work in medical care, laboratory and clinical research, advocacy, and government.

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 Distinguished Professor of Breast Cancer Research and the associate dean for Translational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is also the editor-in-chief of JAMA Oncology.