University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina
L. Richardson and Marilyn Jacobs Preyer Distinguished Professor in Breast Cancer Research Deputy Director of Clinical Sciences, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Member, BCRF Scientific Advisory Board
Investigating the biological underpinnings of metastatic breast cancer by conducting in-depth molecular analyses of tumor samples.
Most of what researchers know about breast cancer biology is based on studying the primary cancer, or the cancer that originates in the breast. Less is known, however, about the biology of metastatic breast cancer (MBC), or cancer that spreads from the breast to other organs, and no cure is currently available. Determining the biology at different metastasis sites and how different organs affect cancer behavior may ultimately inform decisions on individualized therapy and treatment.
Dr. Carey and her team are comparing samples from the original breast tumors with metastases in the same patient, subjecting them to cellular and genetic analyses to reveal their differences. They have found that a subset of metastatic tumors does not match the primary tumor characteristics, either because they have a different tumor profile, a different level or type of immune cell activation in and around the tumor, or both. Whether and how these changes affect treatment and response is the focus of her team’s efforts.
In the past year, the team has continued their clinical trials to further understand the genomics of metastases and how organ-specific influences impact MBC. At least ten percent of MBC tumors are molecularly different from the clinical subtype of the primary tumor, which may have therapeutic implications. Their recent findings, focused on gene expression signatures associated with mixed responses to therapy, are being prepared for publication.
The team will continue to enroll patients into their ongoing HARMONY trial which studies RNA expression and molecular subtypes in blood and tissue samples to optimize therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer. They aim to enroll 500 total patients and add 50 paired samples and 100 metastatic-only samples. They will also continue enrolling patients into their Rapid Autopsy Program, a databank that accepts and stores tumor and tissue donations from deceased MBC patients, to further characterize molecular heterogeneity in primary and metastatic cancer sites.
Read more about Dr. Carey’s work as part of BCRF’s Health Equity Initiative here.
Lisa A. Carey, MD, ScM, FASCO is the L. Richardson and Marilyn Jacobs Preyer Distinguished Professor in Breast Cancer Research and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Deputy Director of Clinical Sciences at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC). Dr. Carey has a longstanding interest in the clinical implications of tumor molecular subtypes and microenvironmental influences on response to therapy and outcomes in breast cancer. She designs and leads clinical trials of novel drugs and approaches and is a close collaborator with several laboratory investigators and epidemiologists.
Dr. Carey graduated from Wellesley College, received her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where she remained for her residency in Internal Medicine, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Medical Oncology and an advanced degree in Clinical Investigations. She joined the UNC faculty and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1998 and was the Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Physician-in-Chief of the North Carolina Cancer Hospital from 2012-2020, prior to assuming her current role. In 2023, she was appointed the Vice-Chair of the BCRF Health Equity Initiative (HEI). She has served in many roles for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and is a member of the Susan G. Komen Scientific Advisory Board. She is a recipient of the National Cancer Institute Director’s Service Award, a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) and has served as the co-Chair of the Alliance National Cooperative Group Breast Committee since 2017.
“Because of BCRF, I have been able to quickly attend to issues important to our patients, launch transdisciplinary initiatives, innovate using new technology, and support the clinical and translational trials that are the linchpin of my value to the breast cancer community.”
2006
The Pink Promises Award in Memory of Sue Decina
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