Research Summary

Dr. Rita Mukhtar specializes in breast surgery and general surgery for urgent conditions. For her patients with breast cancer, she offers expertise in total skin-sparing mastectomies, breast conservation, wire localization surgery (used to show the location of tissue requiring biopsy) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (used to see if cancer has spread).

Dr. Mukhtar's research program focuses on invasive lobular carcinoma, the second most common type of breast cancer. This work is funded by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. She teaches medical students and residents, and serves as an Associate Program Director for the UCSF General Surgery Residency.

Education

UC Berkeley, AB, 12/2000, Molecular and Cell Biology
UC San Francisco, MD, 05/2006
UC San Francisco, Postdoctoral Fellow, 06/2011, Advanced Training in Clinical Research
UC San Francisco, Resident, 06/2013, General Surgery
UC San Francisco, Fellow, 06/2014, Breast Surgical Oncology

Honors & Awards

  • 2003
    Storer Scholarship, UCSF School of Medicine
  • 2005
    Student Research Award, Association for Academic Surgery
  • 2006
    Steinhart Scholarship, UCSF School of Medicine
  • 2007
    Dr Galante Scholarship Award, UCSF Department of Surgery
  • 2009
    Resident Research Scholarship, UCSF CTSI
  • 2013
    Teaching Award for Cherished Housestaff, UCSF School of Medicine
  • 2013
    Lawrence Way Critical Thinking Award, UCSF Department of Surgery

Selected Publications

  1. Clelland EN, Rothschild HT, Patterson A, Molina-Vega J, Kaur M, Symmans WF, Schwartz CJ, Chien AJ, Benz CC, Mukhtar RA. Quantifying hormone receptor status in lobular breast cancer in an institutional series: the relationship between estrogen and progesterone receptor status and outcomes. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Jul 27.  View on PubMed
  2. Rothschild HT, Clelland EN, Abel MK, Chien AJ, Shui AM, Esserman L, Khan SA, Mukhtar RA. The impact of histologic subtype on primary site surgery in the management of metastatic lobular versus ductal breast cancer: a population based study from the National Cancer Database. Res Sq. 2023 Jul 19.  View on PubMed
  3. Rothschild HT, Clelland EN, Mujir F, Record H, Wong J, Esserman LJ, Alvarado M, Ewing C, Mukhtar RA. Predictors of Early Versus Late Recurrence in Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast: Impact of Local and Systemic Therapy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Oct; 30(10):5999-6006.  View on PubMed
  4. Rothschild HT, Mukhtar RA. ASO Author Reflections: Patient, Tumor, and Treatment Characteristics Predict Early Versus Late Recurrence in Patients with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Jul 17.  View on PubMed
  5. Boughey JC, Yu H, Dugan CL, Piltin MA, Postlewait L, Son JD, Edmiston KK, Godellas CV, Lee MC, Carr MJ, Tonneson JE, Crown A, Lancaster RB, Woriax HE, Ewing CA, Chau HS, Patterson AK, Wong JM, Alvarado MD, Yang RL, Chan TW, Sheade JB, Ahrendt GM, Larson KE, Switalla K, Tuttle TM, Tchou JC, Rao R, Tamirisa N, Singh P, Gould RE, Terando A, Sauder C, Hewitt K, Chiba A, Esserman LJ, Mukhtar RA. Changes in Surgical Management of the Axilla Over 11 Years - Report on More Than 1500 Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on the Prospective I-SPY2 Trial. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 Oct; 30(11):6401-6410.  View on PubMed
  6. Cecil K, Huppert L, Mukhtar R, Dibble EH, O'Brien SR, Ulaner GA, Lawhn-Heath C. Metabolic Positron Emission Tomography in Breast Cancer. PET Clin. 2023 Oct; 18(4):473-485.  View on PubMed
  7. Mukhtar RA, Chau H, Woriax H, Piltin M, Ahrendt G, Tchou J, Yu H, Ding Q, Dugan CL, Sheade J, Crown A, Carr M, Wong J, Son J, Yang R, Chan T, Terando A, Alvarado M, Ewing C, Tonneson J, Tamirisa N, Gould R, Singh P, Godellas C, Larson K, Chiba A, Rao R, Sauder C, Postlewait L, Lee MC, Symmans WF, Esserman LJ, Boughey JC, ISPY-2 Locoregional Working Group. Breast Conservation Surgery and Mastectomy Have Similar Locoregional Recurrence After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Results From 1462 Patients on the Prospective, Randomized I-SPY2 Trial. Ann Surg. 2023 09 01; 278(3):320-327.  View on PubMed
  8. Mukhtar RA, Yau C, Esserman LJ. Prognostic Significance of Residual Ductal Carcinoma In Situ After Complete Response of Invasive Breast Cancer to Neoadjuvant Therapy-Reply. JAMA Surg. 2023 06 01; 158(6):675.  View on PubMed
  9. Kaur M, Patterson A, Molina-Vega J, Rothschild H, Clelland E, Ewing CA, Mujir F, Esserman LJ, Olopade OI, Mukhtar RA. Area Deprivation Index in Patients with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast: Associations with Tumor Characteristics and Outcomes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023 08 01; 32(8):1107-1113.  View on PubMed
  10. Mukhtar RA, Esserman LJ. Time to Surgery in Breast Cancer-Is Faster Always Better? JAMA Surg. 2023 05 01; 158(5):492-493.  View on PubMed
  11. Elle N Clelland, Judy Gonzalez-Vargas, Sarah G Palilla, Suneil K Koliwad, Heather I Greenwood, Christopher J Schwartz, Chris C. Benz, Diana L Alba, Rita A Mukhtar. 407 Moving from observational studies to a clinical trial: the impact of obesity and surgical weight loss on breast imaging, tissue, and cancer screening experience: the B-BRITE study. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2023 Apr 24; 7(s1):121-122.  View on PubMed
  12. Rothschild HT, Clelland E, Patterson A, Molina-Vega J, Kaur M, Symmans WF, Schwartz CJ, Chien AJ, Mukhtar RA. HER-2 low status in early-stage invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: associated factors and outcomes in an institutional series. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Jun; 199(2):349-354.  View on PubMed
  13. Harriet T. Rothschild, Elle Clelland, Anne Patterson, Julissa Molina-Vega, Mandeep Kaur, Mary Kathryn Abel, W. Fraser Symmans, Christopher J. Schwartz, Rita Mukhtar. Abstract HER2-14: HER2-14 HER-2 low status in early stage invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: associated factors and outcomes in an institutional series. Cancer Research. 2023 Mar 1; 83(5_Supplement):her2-14-her2-14.  View on PubMed
  14. Elle Clelland, Harriet T. Rothschild, Anne Patterson, Julissa Molina-Vega, Mandeep Kaur, Mary Kathryn Abel, W. Fraser Symmans, Jo Chien, Christopher J. Schwartz, Rita Mukhtar. Abstract P2-03-16: Quantifying estrogen and progesterone receptor status in early-stage invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: associated factors and outcomes in an institutional series. Cancer Research. 2023 Mar 1; 83(5_Supplement):p2-03-16-p2-03-16.  View on PubMed
  15. Jennifer Rosenbluth, Christopher J. Schwartz, Tam Binh Bui, Shruti Warhadpande, Pravin Phadatare, Sigal Eini, Michael Bruck, Julissa Molina-Vega, Kami Pullakhandam, Nicole Schindler, Lamorna A. Brown Swigart, Christina Yau, Gillian Hirst, Rita Mukhtar, Karthik V. Giridhar, Olufunmilayo I. Olopade, Kevin Kalinsky, Cheryl A. Ewing, Jasmine M. Wong, Michael D. Alvarado, Laura Van’t Veer, Laura J. Esserman, Jo Chien. Abstract P3-09-01: Characterization of residual disease after neoadjuvant selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) therapy using tumor organoids in the I-SPY Endocrine Optimization Protocol (EOP). Cancer Research. 2023 Mar 1; 83(5_Supplement):p3-09-01-p3-09-01.  View on PubMed
  16. Mandeep Kaur, Anne Patterson, Julissa Molina-Vega, Harriet T. Rothschild, Elle Clelland, Mary Kathryn Abel, Laura J. Esserman, Olufunmilayo I. Olopade, Rita Mukhtar. Abstract P6-08-09: Self-identified race and Area Deprivation Index in patients with invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: associations with tumor characteristics and event free survival. Cancer Research. 2023 Mar 1; 83(5_Supplement):p6-08-09-p6-08-09.  View on PubMed
  17. Schwartz CJ, Ruiz J, Bean GR, Sirohi D, Joseph NM, Hosfield EM, Jacobs TW, Mukhtar RA, Chen YY, Krings G. Triple-Negative Apocrine Carcinomas: Toward a Unified Group With Shared Molecular Features and Clinical Behavior. Mod Pathol. 2023 05; 36(5):100125.  View on PubMed
  18. Barnes LL, Foster R, Mukhtar RA, Esserman LJ, Ewing C, Alvarado M, Wong J, Piper M. Expanding Candidacy for Nipple-sparing Mastectomy in Women with Large or Ptotic Breasts: Staged Reconstruction Outcomes. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2023 Jan; 11(1):e4767.  View on PubMed
  19. Glencer AC, Miller PN, Greenwood H, Maldonado Rodas CK, Freimanis R, Basu A, Mukhtar RA, Brabham C, Kim P, Hwang ES, Rosenbluth JM, Hirst GL, Campbell MJ, Borowsky AD, Esserman LJ. Identifying Good Candidates for Active Surveillance of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: Insights from a Large Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy Cohort. Cancer Res Commun. 2022 12; 2(12):1579-1589.  View on PubMed
  20. Conroy PC, Mohamedaly S, Karimzada M, Brian R, Im C, Hernandez S, Roman S, Hirose K, Mukhtar R, Kirkwood K, O'Sullivan P, Alseidi A. Implementation, evaluation, and modification of a near-peer learning group in graduate surgical education. Am J Surg. 2023 03; 225(3):591-592.  View on PubMed

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