Breast Cancer Research - Penn State Cancer Institute
Breast Cancer Research
Research into breast cancer at Penn State Cancer Institute is conducted by a dedicated breast cancer team. See current clinical trials and members of that team here.
Clinical Trials
CUFF Study: Characterization of Upper Limb Function following Mastectomy and Reconstruction for Breast Cancer
The COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) Registry
Psychosocial Challenges and Educational/Occupational Aspirations of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors
NRG-BR007: A Phase III Clinical Trial Evaluating Deescalation of Breast Radiation for Conservative Treatment of Stage I, Hormone sensitive, HER2- Negative Oncotype recurrence Score Less Than or Equal to 18 Breast Cancer (DEBRA)
A Phase II Study of Ribociclib and Endocrine Treatment of Physician's Choice for Locoregional Recurrent, Resected Hormone Receptor Positive HER2 Negative Breast Cancer (RaPhLRR Study) (HCRN-BRE20-468)
CCTG MA.39:Tailor RT: A Randomized Trial of Regional Radiotherapy in Biomarker Low Risk Node Positive and T3N0 Breast Cancer
An Open Label, Phase II Trial of Pre-operative Neratinib and Endocrine Therapy with Trastuzumab in Triple Positive Breast Cancers
CAMBRIA-2: A Phase III, Open-Label, Randomised Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Camizestrant (AZD9833, a Next Generation, Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader) vs Standard Endocrine Therapy (Aromatase nhibitor or Tamoxifen) as Adjuvant Treatment for Patients With ER+/HER2- Early Breast Cancer and an Intermediate-high or High risk of Recurrence Who Have Completed Definitive Locoregional Treatment and Have No evidence of Disease
NRG-BR009: A Phase III Adjuvant Trial Evaluating the Addition of Adjuvant Chemotherapy to Ovarian Function Suppression plus Endocrine Therapy in Premenopausal Patients with pN0-1, ER-Positive/HER2-Negative Breast Cancer and an Oncotype Recurrence Score (OFSET)
A Randomised, Open-Label, Phase III Study of Saruparib (AZD5305) Plus Camizestrant compared with Physician's Choice CDK4/6 Inhibitor Plus Endocrine Therapy or Plus Camizestrant for the First-Line Treatment of Patients with BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 Mutations and Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative (IHC 0, 1+, 2+/ ISH non-amplified) Advanced Breast Cancer (EvoPAR-Breast01)
A012103: OptimICE-PCR: De-Escalation of Therapy in Early-Stage TNBC Patients Who Achieve pCR After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
Shorter Anthracycline-Free Chemo Immunotherapy Adapted to Pathological Response in Early Triple Negative Breast Cancer (SCARLET), A Randomized Phase III Study
BINGO: Bridging Knowledge, Increasing Awareness - Empowering the Black Community through Educational Gamification on Cancer Screenings and Clinical Trial Diversity
Elacestrant versus Standard Endocrine Therapy in Women and Men with Node-positive, Estrogen Receptor-positive, HER2-negative, Early Breast Cancer with High Risk of Recurrence -A Global, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-label Phase 3 Study (ELEGANT)
A Phase 1b/2 Study Assessing the Safety and Efficacy of Evexomostat (SDX-7320) in Combination with a PI3K Pathway Inhibitor plus Fulvestrant in Postmenopausal Women with Advanced Breast Cancer and PI3K Pathway Alterations Who Have Progressed on or Following Endocrine Therapy plus a CDK4/6 Inhibitor
EXActDNA-003: Breast Cancer Clinical Validation Study to Predict Recurrence of High-Risk Early Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Therapy Using a Bespoke Circulating Tumor DNA Assay to Detect Molecular Residual Disease (NSABP B-64)
EXActDNA-003: Breast Cancer Clinical Validation Study to Predict Recurrence of High-Risk Early Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Therapy Using a Bespoke Circulating Tumor DNA Assay to Detect Molecular Residual Disease (NSABP B-64)
Lotam: A Randomized, Phase III Clinical Trial Of Low-Dose Tamoxifen For Selected Patients With Molecular Low-Risk Early-Stage Breast Cancer
NRG-CC015: HARNESSING E-MINDFULNESS APPROACHES FOR LIVING-AFTER BREAST CANCER---HEAL-ABC A Randomized Phase III Trial Testing the Efficacy of Remote Delivery of Mindfulness Awareness Practices in the NCORP; funding to Dr. Julienne Bower, MPI (contact) and Dr. Patricia Ganz, MPI at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Disease Team Members
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Role | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Alison | Chetlen | DO | ||
![]() |
Claudia | Kasales | MD | ||
![]() |
Rena | Kass | MD | ||
![]() |
Julie | Mack | MD | ||
![]() |
John | Potochny | MD | ||
![]() |
Rebecca | Sivarajah | MD | ||
![]() |
Cristina | Truica | MD | ||
![]() |
Kristine | Widders | MD |
Research into breast cancer at Penn State Cancer Institute is conducted by a dedicated breast cancer team. See current clinical trials and members of that team here.
CUFF Study: Characterization of Upper Limb Function following Mastectomy and Reconstruction for Breast Cancer
The COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) Registry
Psychosocial Challenges and Educational/Occupational Aspirations of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors
NRG-BR007: A Phase III Clinical Trial Evaluating Deescalation of Breast Radiation for Conservative Treatment of Stage I, Hormone sensitive, HER2- Negative Oncotype recurrence Score Less Than or Equal to 18 Breast Cancer (DEBRA)
A Phase II Study of Ribociclib and Endocrine Treatment of Physician's Choice for Locoregional Recurrent, Resected Hormone Receptor Positive HER2 Negative Breast Cancer (RaPhLRR Study) (HCRN-BRE20-468)
CCTG MA.39:Tailor RT: A Randomized Trial of Regional Radiotherapy in Biomarker Low Risk Node Positive and T3N0 Breast Cancer
An Open Label, Phase II Trial of Pre-operative Neratinib and Endocrine Therapy with Trastuzumab in Triple Positive Breast Cancers
CAMBRIA-2: A Phase III, Open-Label, Randomised Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Camizestrant (AZD9833, a Next Generation, Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader) vs Standard Endocrine Therapy (Aromatase nhibitor or Tamoxifen) as Adjuvant Treatment for Patients With ER+/HER2- Early Breast Cancer and an Intermediate-high or High risk of Recurrence Who Have Completed Definitive Locoregional Treatment and Have No evidence of Disease
NRG-BR009: A Phase III Adjuvant Trial Evaluating the Addition of Adjuvant Chemotherapy to Ovarian Function Suppression plus Endocrine Therapy in Premenopausal Patients with pN0-1, ER-Positive/HER2-Negative Breast Cancer and an Oncotype Recurrence Score (OFSET)
A Randomised, Open-Label, Phase III Study of Saruparib (AZD5305) Plus Camizestrant compared with Physician's Choice CDK4/6 Inhibitor Plus Endocrine Therapy or Plus Camizestrant for the First-Line Treatment of Patients with BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 Mutations and Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative (IHC 0, 1+, 2+/ ISH non-amplified) Advanced Breast Cancer (EvoPAR-Breast01)
A012103: OptimICE-PCR: De-Escalation of Therapy in Early-Stage TNBC Patients Who Achieve pCR After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
Shorter Anthracycline-Free Chemo Immunotherapy Adapted to Pathological Response in Early Triple Negative Breast Cancer (SCARLET), A Randomized Phase III Study
BINGO: Bridging Knowledge, Increasing Awareness - Empowering the Black Community through Educational Gamification on Cancer Screenings and Clinical Trial Diversity
Elacestrant versus Standard Endocrine Therapy in Women and Men with Node-positive, Estrogen Receptor-positive, HER2-negative, Early Breast Cancer with High Risk of Recurrence -A Global, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-label Phase 3 Study (ELEGANT)
A Phase 1b/2 Study Assessing the Safety and Efficacy of Evexomostat (SDX-7320) in Combination with a PI3K Pathway Inhibitor plus Fulvestrant in Postmenopausal Women with Advanced Breast Cancer and PI3K Pathway Alterations Who Have Progressed on or Following Endocrine Therapy plus a CDK4/6 Inhibitor
EXActDNA-003: Breast Cancer Clinical Validation Study to Predict Recurrence of High-Risk Early Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Therapy Using a Bespoke Circulating Tumor DNA Assay to Detect Molecular Residual Disease (NSABP B-64)
EXActDNA-003: Breast Cancer Clinical Validation Study to Predict Recurrence of High-Risk Early Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Therapy Using a Bespoke Circulating Tumor DNA Assay to Detect Molecular Residual Disease (NSABP B-64)
Lotam: A Randomized, Phase III Clinical Trial Of Low-Dose Tamoxifen For Selected Patients With Molecular Low-Risk Early-Stage Breast Cancer
NRG-CC015: HARNESSING E-MINDFULNESS APPROACHES FOR LIVING-AFTER BREAST CANCER---HEAL-ABC A Randomized Phase III Trial Testing the Efficacy of Remote Delivery of Mindfulness Awareness Practices in the NCORP; funding to Dr. Julienne Bower, MPI (contact) and Dr. Patricia Ganz, MPI at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Role | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Alison | Chetlen | DO | ||
![]() |
Claudia | Kasales | MD | ||
![]() |
Rena | Kass | MD | ||
![]() |
Julie | Mack | MD | ||
![]() |
John | Potochny | MD | ||
![]() |
Rebecca | Sivarajah | MD | ||
![]() |
Cristina | Truica | MD | ||
![]() |
Kristine | Widders | MD |








