Research Summary

Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, is professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she is also the director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education. Dr. Rugo joined the Breast Care Center in 1999 after a decade of experience at University of California San Francisco in malignant hematology and bone marrow transplantation for a variety of diseases, including breast cancer. She entered the field of breast cancer in order to incorporate novel therapies based on an understanding of the biology of cancer with excellent quality of care into the treatment of women with breast cancer.

Dr. Rugo is the Director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is a principal investigator of multiple clinical trials focusing on combining novel targeted therapeutics with standard treatment to improve the treatment of both early and late stage breast cancer, and has published widely in this area. Her current research interests include immunotherapy and combinations of targeted agents in the treatment of breast cancer to overcome resistance. She was a member of the steering committee for the EMBRACA and ABRAZO studies that evaluated the efficacy of the PARP inhibitor talazoparib in patients with metastatic breast cancer and germline mutations in BRCA1 and 2. In addition, Dr. Rugo has conducted a number of studies focusing on reducing toxicity from therapy, resulting in approval of scalp cooling to reduce chemotherapy induced hair loss, and a steroid mouthwash to reduce targeted agent stomatitis. She is an investigator and the chair of the Safety Committee for the multicenter adaptively randomized phase II I-SPY2 trial, and serves on the Novel Agents Committee. Dr. Rugo is the co-chair of the Triple Negative Working Group and an active member of the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC), and is the principal investigator of several TBCRC trials including a multi-center immunotherapy trial funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). She is an active member of the Alliance (formerly CALGB) Breast Committee, as well as ASCO, where she serves on the Guidelines Committee and as an editor for the Education Committee.

In addition to her research, Dr. Rugo is an active clinician, and is committed to education, regularly lecturing locally, nationally and internationally on subjects relating to the treatment of and supportive care for breast cancer. At UCSF, Dr. Rugo runs the Breast Forum, an open bimonthly evening educational session for breast cancer patients, families and friends from throughout the bay area.

Dr. Rugo graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1983. She completed a residency in internal medicine and primary care followed by a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of California San Francisco. She was a post-doctoral fellow in immunology participating in laboratory research at Stanford University from 1988-1990. In 1990, Dr. Rugo joined the faculty at UCSF in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Rugo recognized for her excellence in both patient care and in teaching of both medical students and training physicians. She has received several awards including the Bank of America Gianini Foundation Award and a UCSF Clinical Cancer Center Investigator Research Program intra-mural award. In 2006, she received an honor for her work in Breast Cancer Research by the Friends of the Breast Care Center and received the Cancer Care physician of the year award in 2010 by the Cancer Care National Organization.

Research Funding

  • December 1, 1974 - September 29, 2006 - General Clinical Research Center, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCRR, Sponsor Award ID: M01RR000079
  • December 1, 1974 - September 29, 2006 - General Clinical Research Center, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCRR, Sponsor Award ID: M01RR000079
  • December 1, 1974 - September 29, 2006 - General Clinical Research Center, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCRR, Sponsor Award ID: M01RR000079
  • December 1, 1974 - September 29, 2006 - General Clinical Research Center, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCRR, Sponsor Award ID: M01RR000079

Education

Tufts University, BS, 1979, Chemistry
University of Pennsylvania, MD, 1984, Medicine
University of California San Francisco, 1987, Resident, Internal Medicine
University of California San Francisco, 1990, Fellow, Hematology/Oncology
Stanford University, 1988-90, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Microbiology/Immunology
DNAX Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, 1989-90, Visiting Scientist, Immunology

Honors & Awards

  • College
    Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi; Victor Prather Prize for Excellence in Scientific Research; Durkee Scholarship for promise and achievement in the field of chemistry; Max Tishler Prize Scholarship for outstanding achievement in the sciences
  • Medical School
    Henry Luce Scholar in the Philippines; Certificate of Commendation, Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational Safety and Health; National Health Service Corps Scholarship; Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation
  • 1990
    Awarded Bank of America Gianini Foundation Research Fellowship

Selected Publications

  1. DeBoer RJ, Rugo HS, Shulman LN. Reconceptualizing Risk-Benefit Assessment of Novel Cancer Therapies to Expand Global Access and Reduce Worldwide Mortality. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Dec 09.  View on PubMed
  2. Gnant M, Dueck AC, Frantal S, Martin M, Burstein HJ, Greil R, Fox P, Wolff AC, Chan A, Winer EP, Pfeiler G, Miller KD, Colleoni M, Suga JM, Rubovsky G, Bliss JM, Mayer IA, Singer CF, Nowecki Z, Hahn O, Thomson J, Wolmark N, Amillano K, Rugo HS, Steger GG, Hernando Fernández de Aránguiz B, Haddad TC, Perelló A, Bellet M, Fohler H, Metzger Filho O, Jallitsch-Halper A, Solomon K, Schurmans C, Theall KP, Lu DR, Tenner K, Fesl C, DeMichele A, Mayer EL, PALLAS groups and investigators. Adjuvant Palbociclib for Early Breast Cancer: The PALLAS Trial Results (ABCSG-42/AFT-05/BIG-14-03). J Clin Oncol. 2021 Dec 07; JCO2102554.  View on PubMed
  3. Quintanilha JCF, Wang J, Sibley AB, Jiang C, Etheridge AS, Shen F, Jiang G, Mulkey F, Patel JN, Hertz DL, Dees EC, McLeod HL, Bertagnolli M, Rugo H, Kindler HL, Kelly WK, Ratain MJ, Kroetz DL, Owzar K, Schneider BP, Lin D, Innocenti F. Correction: Bevacizumab-induced hypertension and proteinuria: a genome-wide study of more than 1000 patients. Br J Cancer. 2021 Dec 01.  View on PubMed
  4. Metzger-Filho O, Collier K, Asad S, Ansell PJ, Watson M, Bae J, Cherian M, O'Shaughnessy J, Untch M, Rugo HS, Huober JB, Golshan M, Sikov WM, von Minckwitz G, Rastogi P, Li L, Cheng L, Maag D, Wolmark N, Denkert C, Symmans WF, Geyer CE, Loibl S, Stover DG. Matched cohort study of germline BRCA mutation carriers with triple negative breast cancer in brightness. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2021 Nov 11; 7(1):142.  View on PubMed
  5. Clark AS, Yau C, Wolf DM, Petricoin EF, van 't Veer LJ, Yee D, Moulder SL, Wallace AM, Chien AJ, Isaacs C, Boughey JC, Albain KS, Kemmer K, Haley BB, Han HS, Forero-Torres A, Elias A, Lang JE, Ellis ED, Yung R, Tripathy D, Nanda R, Wulfkuhle JD, Brown-Swigart L, Gallagher RI, Helsten T, Roesch E, Ewing CA, Alvarado M, Crane EP, Buxton M, Clennell JL, Paoloni M, Asare SM, Wilson A, Hirst GL, Singhrao R, Steeg K, Asare A, Matthews JB, Berry S, Sanil A, Melisko M, Perlmutter J, Rugo HS, Schwab RB, Symmans WF, Hylton NM, Berry DA, Esserman LJ, DeMichele AM. Neoadjuvant T-DM1/pertuzumab and paclitaxel/trastuzumab/pertuzumab for HER2+ breast cancer in the adaptively randomized I-SPY2 trial. Nat Commun. 2021 11 05; 12(1):6428.  View on PubMed
  6. Emens LA, Adams S, Barrios CH, Diéras V, Iwata H, Loi S, Rugo HS, Schneeweiss A, Winer EP, Patel S, Henschel V, Swat A, Kaul M, Molinero L, Patel S, Chui SY, Schmid P. Corrigendum to 'First-line atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel for unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: IMpassion130 final overall survival analysis': Annals of Oncology 2021; 32: 983-993. Ann Oncol. 2021 Dec; 32(12):1650.  View on PubMed
  7. Abel MK, Melisko ME, Rugo HS, Chien AJ, Diaz I, Levine JK, Griffin A, McGuire J, Esserman LJ, Borno HT, Mukhtar RA. Decreased enrollment in breast cancer trials by histologic subtype: does invasive lobular carcinoma resist RECIST? NPJ Breast Cancer. 2021 Oct 25; 7(1):139.  View on PubMed
  8. Gennari A, André F, Barrios CH, Cortés J, de Azambuja E, DeMichele A, Dent R, Fenlon D, Gligorov J, Hurvitz SA, Im SA, Krug D, Kunz WG, Loi S, Lorca FP, Ricke J, Robson M, Rugo HS, Saura C, Schmid P, Singer CF, Spanic T, Tolaney SM, Turner NC, Curigliano G, Loibl S, Paluch-Shimon S, Harbeck N, ESMO Guidelines Committee. ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Ann Oncol. 2021 Oct 13.  View on PubMed
  9. Quintanilha JCF, Wang J, Sibley AB, Jiang C, Etheridge AS, Shen F, Jiang G, Mulkey F, Patel JN, Hertz DL, Dees EC, McLeod HL, Bertagnolli M, Rugo H, Kindler HL, Kelly WK, Ratain MJ, Kroetz DL, Owzar K, Schneider BP, Lin D, Innocenti F. Bevacizumab-induced hypertension and proteinuria: a genome-wide study of more than 1000 patients. Br J Cancer. 2021 Oct 06.  View on PubMed
  10. Yee D, Isaacs C, Wolf DM, Yau C, Haluska P, Giridhar KV, Forero-Torres A, Jo Chien A, Wallace AM, Pusztai L, Albain KS, Ellis ED, Beckwith H, Haley BB, Elias AD, Boughey JC, Kemmer K, Yung RL, Pohlmann PR, Tripathy D, Clark AS, Han HS, Nanda R, Khan QJ, Edmiston KK, Petricoin EF, Stringer-Reasor E, Falkson CI, Majure M, Mukhtar RA, Helsten TL, Moulder SL, Robinson PA, Wulfkuhle JD, Brown-Swigart L, Buxton M, Clennell JL, Paoloni M, Sanil A, Berry S, Asare SM, Wilson A, Hirst GL, Singhrao R, Asare AL, Matthews JB, Hylton NM, DeMichele A, Melisko M, Perlmutter J, Rugo HS, Fraser Symmans W, Van't Veer LJ, Berry DA, Esserman LJ. Ganitumab and metformin plus standard neoadjuvant therapy in stage 2/3 breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2021 Oct 05; 7(1):131.  View on PubMed
  11. Harbeck N, Rastogi P, Martin M, Tolaney SM, Shao ZM, Fasching PA, Huang CS, Jaliffe GG, Tryakin A, Goetz MP, Rugo HS, Senkus E, Testa L, Andersson M, Tamura K, Del Mastro L, Steger GG, Kreipe H, Hegg R, Sohn J, Guarneri V, Cortés J, Hamilton E, André V, Wei R, Barriga S, Sherwood S, Forrester T, Munoz M, Shahir A, San Antonio B, Nabinger SC, Toi M, Johnston SRD, O'Shaughnessy J. Adjuvant Abemaciclib Combined With Endocrine Therapy for High-Risk Early Breast Cancer: Updated Efficacy and Ki-67 Analysis From the monarchE Study. Ann Oncol. 2021 Sep 29.  View on PubMed
  12. Paradiso A, Codacci-Pisanelli G, Munzone E, Rugo HS, Heudel PE. Expert Discussion: Predictive Markers. Breast Care (Basel). 2021 Oct; 16(5):552-557.  View on PubMed
  13. Symmans WF, Yau C, Chen YY, Balassanian R, Klein ME, Pusztai L, Nanda R, Parker BA, Datnow B, Krings G, Wei S, Feldman MD, Duan X, Chen B, Sattar H, Khazai L, Zeck JC, Sams S, Mhawech-Fauceglia P, Rendi M, Sahoo S, Ocal IT, Fan F, LeBeau LG, Vinh T, Troxell ML, Chien AJ, Wallace AM, Forero-Torres A, Ellis E, Albain KS, Murthy RK, Boughey JC, Liu MC, Haley BB, Elias AD, Clark AS, Kemmer K, Isaacs C, Lang JE, Han HS, Edmiston K, Viscusi RK, Northfelt DW, Khan QJ, Leyland-Jones B, Venters SJ, Shad S, Matthews JB, Asare SM, Buxton M, Asare AL, Rugo HS, Schwab RB, Helsten T, Hylton NM, van 't Veer L, Perlmutter J, DeMichele AM, Yee D, Berry DA, Esserman LJ. Assessment of Residual Cancer Burden and Event-Free Survival in Neoadjuvant Treatment for High-risk Breast Cancer: An Analysis of Data From the I-SPY2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Sep 16.  View on PubMed
  14. Chan RJ, Crichton M, Crawford-Williams F, Agbejule OA, Yu K, Hart NH, de Abreu Alves F, Ashbury FD, Eng L, Fitch M, Jain H, Jefford M, Klemanski D, Koczwara B, Loh K, Prasad M, Rugo H, Soto-Perez-de-Celis E, van den Hurk C, Chan A, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Survivorship Study Group . The efficacy, challenges, and facilitators of telemedicine in post-treatment cancer survivorship care: an overview of systematic reviews. Ann Oncol. 2021 Sep 09.  View on PubMed
  15. Vidula N, Greenberg S, Petrillo L, Hwang J, Melisko M, Goga A, Moasser M, Magbanua M, Park JW, Rugo HS. Evaluation of disseminated tumor cells and circulating tumor cells in patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant zoledronic acid. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2021 Sep 06; 7(1):113.  View on PubMed
  16. Bardia A, Hurvitz SA, Rugo HS, Brufsky A, Cortes J, Loibl S, Piccart M, Cowden J, Spears P, Carey LA. A plain language summary of the ASCENT study: Sacituzumab Govitecan for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Future Oncol. 2021 09 01.  View on PubMed
  17. Jhaveri K, Burris Rd HA, Yap TA, Hamilton E, Rugo HS, Goldman JW, Dann S, Liu F, Wong GY, Krupka H, Shapiro GI. The evolution of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2021 Oct; 21(10):1105-1124.  View on PubMed
  18. Neven P, Rugo HS, Tolaney SM, Iwata H, Toi M, Goetz MP, Kaufman PA, Lu Y, Haddad N, Hurt KC, Sledge GW. Abemaciclib plus fulvestrant in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer in premenopausal women: subgroup analysis from the MONARCH 2 trial. Breast Cancer Res. 2021 08 23; 23(1):87.  View on PubMed
  19. Emens LA, Molinero L, Loi S, Rugo HS, Schneeweiss A, Diéras V, Iwata H, Barrios CH, Nechaeva M, Nguyen-Duc A, Chui SY, Husain A, Winer EP, Adams S, Schmid P. Atezolizumab and nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Biomarker Evaluation of the IMpassion130 Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2021 Aug 02; 113(8):1005-1016.  View on PubMed
  20. Emens LA, Adams S, Barrios CH, Diéras V, Iwata H, Loi S, Rugo HS, Schneeweiss A, Winer EP, Patel S, Henschel V, Swat A, Kaul M, Molinero L, Patel S, Chui SY, Schmid P. Corrigendum to 'First-line atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel for unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: IMpassion130 final overall survival analysis': Annals of Oncology 2021; volume 32: 983-993. Ann Oncol. 2021 Oct; 32(10):1308.  View on PubMed

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