University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Assistant Professor Breast Medical Oncologist Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation
Improving disease monitoring during treatment to improve therapeutic intervention in patients with triple-negative breast cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype and is more likely to recur after treatment. Many patients with TNBC have lingering cancer cells in their blood after standard treatment, increasing their risk of recurrence within the first few years post therapy. Currently, cancer recurrence is detected through monitoring patient symptoms and imaging. However, liquid biopsy has emerged as a non-invasive monitoring technique to detect genetic material released by cancer cells in the blood (circulating tumor DNA, ctDNA). The presence of cancer cells in the blood is called minimal residual disease (MRD) and can predict recurrence by up to one year earlier than current methods.
For her Conquer Cancer Award supported by BCRF, Dr. Abdou aims to detect cancer cells in patients early to help improve outcomes for patients with TNBC. She will identify the best time to collect blood for ctDNA measurement and analysis, and probe how the ctDNA information might change treatment options. Additionally, patients who have ctDNA in their blood will have the option to receive additional therapy to prevent cancer spread.
Yara Abdou, MD is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a breast medical oncologist at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on developing novel therapies and investigating innovative biomarkers for disease recurrence and treatment response, with a particular emphasis on understanding and addressing racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes among minority women.
Dr. Abdou’s work has been recognized with several awards, including the METAvivor Health Disparities in Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Award and the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award. As both a clinician and researcher, she is dedicated to improving treatment strategies for breast cancer patients while minimizing suffering and morbidity from the disease.
2024
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