Many Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) breast oncology physicians lead initiatives that expand national and global collaboration in pursuit of delivering the most cutting-edge treatments for breast cancer. 

Laura H. Rosenberger, MD, a surgical oncologist, is a national leader in phyllodes tumors, a rare form of breast cancer. Many patients travel from other states to receive care from her and Duke’s highly specialized team of surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists. Rosenberger is the founder and principal investigator of an 11-site multi-center collaborative network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers researching phyllodes tumors. She also leads an open phyllodes tumor registry, which collects biospecimens for future research.

The DCI has also garnered national attention for research led by Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH, a surgical oncologist and surgical director of the breast oncology disease group, which could potentially alter the standard protocols for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Hwang led the COMET study, a national clinical trial evaluating active surveillance compared to surgery. Initial results published in late 2024 show that for women with low-risk DCIS, active monitoring may be an alternative to surgical treatment, reducing the need for some surgeries and radiation. 

To increase opportunities for clinical trials focused on brain and spine metastasis, Carey K. Anders, MD, medical oncologist, director of the Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis (DCBSM), and medical director of breast medical oncology, established the Consortium for Intracranial Metastasis Academic Research (CIMARa) in 2021. This global network of 150 members fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to improve outcomes for patients with brain metastases. “Researchers, scientists, and clinicians around the world share knowledge about each other’s work to inspire more treatment options for our patients in the future,” says Anders.

The Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) breast oncology and plastic surgery teams collaborate closely to treat breast cancer cases with extensive experience. “Nearly all reconstructive surgeons in the breast program are microvascular-trained and breast surgeons and fellowship-trained in multidisciplinary oncologic surgical care,” says breast surgeon Maggie L. DiNome, MD. 
The team offers the full gamut of breast reconstruction, from simple oncoplastic closure of lumpectomy defects, including lifts or reductions that can complement a lumpectomy, to traditional implant reconstruction and multiple options for complex autologous flap procedures with unique donor sites. Many of these procedures are performed in a coordinated way on one day to avoid multiple surgeries.

Commenting on the expanding breast oncology team at DCI, Anders says, “It’s an exciting time for the breast oncology team and the level of care we’ll provide to our community. We have wonderful new breast cancer specialists joining our team who are eager and highly qualified to continue our legacy of delivering the best possible outcomes and compassionate care to our patients.” 

New members of the breast oncology team: 

Medical Oncology

• Abirami Natarajan, MD
• Neha Verma, MD
• Namita Sharma, MD
• Marija Sullivan, MD

Radiation Oncology

• Tiarrah Salvi-Jackson, MD