Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey
Professor and Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology Associate Vice Chancellor Cancer Programs Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Conducting studies to improve and personalize radiation therapy in breast cancer patients.
Radiation is at least one component of the therapeutic regimen employed in treating most patients with breast cancer. Dr. Haffty seeks to further understand how radiation therapy (RT) influences the molecular profile of the tumor, the patient’s immune response, and how a patient’s genetic mutations influence treatment outcomes. These studies are unique in that they span the spectrum of basic laboratory experiments, translational studies, and clinical trials in humans so that he and his team can immediately link the results from each project.
Dr. Haffty and his team have refined their laboratory models and have shown significant immune response using various radiation schemes. They will further evaluate how radiation impacts the molecular profile of the breast tumors.
For their translational study, Dr. Haffty’s team has sequenced nearly 6000 genes from over 600 breast cancer patients treated with RT, and they have refined a comprehensive database of clinical, demographic, treatment, and outcomes data. They are evaluating how genetic changes impact treatment toxicity and patient outcomes. The database is continuously being updated as they supplement the clinical data with genetic information.
Additionally, the research team reached their accrual goal of enrolling over 100 patients in a novel clinical trial where a portion of the RT is given before surgery (referred to as lumpectomy boost) and whole breast RT is given after the lumpectomy. They are analyzing clinical outcomes as well as the biological and immunological effects of the preoperative RT on breast tumors.
In the coming year, Dr. Haffty will complete analysis of a spectrum of immune markers in the lumpectomy specimens of patients treated with the pre-operative RT boost and compare them to those observed in the laboratory model experiments. He and his team will publish the first results from their clinical trial and begin to evaluate several other trial outcomes.
Bruce G. Haffty, MD is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey Medical School, and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. He is Associate Vice Chancellor for Cancer Programs at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. His medical school training, internship, residency, and chief residency was conducted at Yale University. Dr. Haffty was a Professor of Yale’s Department of Therapeutic Radiology, served as residency program director from 1992-2004, and was Vice Chairman and Clinical Director from 2002-2005. He moved to the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Cancer Institute of New Jersey in 2005.
Dr. Haffty’s laboratory is devoted to novel molecular targets in radiation therapy for cancers and his team has several ongoing clinical and laboratory investigations related to radiation treatment of breast cancer and other malignancies. He has published over 450 peer-reviewed articles and 30 book chapters. In addition to a busy clinical practice, Dr. Haffty has served on numerous national committees related to research and education in breast cancer and radiation oncology. He is currently Deputy Editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Haffty is a Fellow of the American Society of Radiation Oncology (FASTRO), American College of Radiology (FACR), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO). He recently became an Honorary Member of the European Society of Radiology.
2007
The Tatiana and Peter Cancro Award
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