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  1. Oncology Center of Excellence

Defining Treatment Opportunities in Malignant Phyllodes Using DNA Testing

Awarded Institution: Duke University 

Collaborators: Laura H. Rosenberger, MD, MS; Rachel E. Factor, MD, MHS; Samantha M. Thomas, MS

Other External Collaborators: Stuart Schnitt, MD; Tari King, MD; Chandrajit Raut, MD (Dana Farber/ Brigham Cancer Center); Fresia Pareja, MD, PhD; Giacomo Montagna, MD, MPH; Aimee M. Crago, MD, PhD (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

FDA Collaborators: Joshua Donaldson, MD, PhD; Jeffery Summers, MD; Martha Donoghue, MD, Rosane Charlab Orbach, PhD

NCI Collaborator: Brigitte Widemann, MD

Project Start Date: September 2024

Regulatory Science Challenge

Phyllodes tumors (PT) are an extremely rare type of breast tumor, ranging from benign to borderline (BLPT), and malignant (MPT). The current standard treatment is surgery, but the more aggressive BLPT and MPT cancers often recur (i.e., come back after initial treatment) or metastasize (i.e., spread to other parts of the body). When that happens there are no effective medical treatments that work on this type of cancer. Therefore, there is a need to identify effective treatments in addition to surgery for this rare, but frequently fatal, tumor that is historically understudied.

Project Description and Goals

This study has two goals. The first is to identify the genomic (i.e., DNA) changes in BLPTs and MPTs that may lead to a higher risk of recurrence. The second goal is to create a model to predict which patients are at risk of recurrence or metastasis based on the new classification system for PTs recommended by College of American Pathologists. Overall, our study will help to identify patients with MPT whose tumors have mutations for which there are FDA-approved targeted therapies. This will inform and support future clinical trials for patients who need treatment for PTs that are more likely to come back or spread to other parts of the body despite surgery.

Further Information

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