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 - March 31, 2009 - General Clinical Research Center , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, 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. Rugo HS, Brufsky A, Liu X, Li B, McRoy L, Chen C, Layman RM, Cristofanilli M, Torres MA, Curigliano G, Finn RS, DeMichele A. Prolonging the life of people with metastatic breast cancer in routine clinical practice by adding palbociclib to an aromatase inhibitor from a real-world database analysis: a plain language summary. Future Oncol. 2023 Mar 09.  View on PubMed
  2. Tolaney SM, Tarantino P, Graham N, Tayob N, Par? L, Villacampa G, Dang CT, Yardley DA, Moy B, Marcom PK, Albain KS, Rugo HS, Ellis MJ, Shapira I, Wolff AC, Carey LA, Barroso-Sousa R, Villagrasa P, DeMeo M, DiLullo M, Zanudo JGT, Weiss J, Wagle N, Partridge AH, Waks AG, Hudis CA, Krop IE, Burstein HJ, Prat A, Winer EP. Adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab for node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer: final 10-year analysis of the open-label, single-arm, phase 2 APT trial. Lancet Oncol. 2023 Mar; 24(3):273-285.  View on PubMed
  3. Rugo HS, Harmer V, O'Shaughnessy J, Jhaveri K, Tolaney SM, Cardoso F, Bardia A, Maheshwari VK, Tripathi S, Haftchenary S, Pathak P, Fasching PA. Quality of life with ribociclib versus abemaciclib as first-line treatment of HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer: a matching-adjusted indirect comparison. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2023; 15:17588359231152843.  View on PubMed
  4. Curigliano G, Shapiro GI, Kristeleit RS, Abdul Razak AR, Leong S, Alsina M, Giordano A, Gelmon KA, Stringer-Reasor E, Vaishampayan UN, Middleton M, Olszanski AJ, Rugo HS, Kern KA, Pathan N, Perea R, Pierce KJ, Mutka SC, Wainberg ZA. Correction to: A Phase 1B open-label study of gedatolisib (PF-05212384) in combination with other anti-tumour agents for patients with advanced solid tumours and triple-negative breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 2023 Jan 25.  View on PubMed
  5. Ruddy KJ, Zahrieh D, He J, Waechter B, Holleran JL, Lewis LD, Chow S, Beumer J, Weiss M, Trikalinos N, Faller B, Lustberg M, Rugo HS, Loprinzi C. Dexamethasone to prevent everolimus-induced stomatitis (Alliance MIST Trial: A221701). Semin Oncol. 2023 Jan 17.  View on PubMed
  6. Rugo HS, Bardia A, Tolaney SM. Reply to G.-F. Li et al, K. Altundag, and N. SG et al. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Jan 06; JCO2202541.  View on PubMed
  7. Jacob SL, Huppert LA, Rugo HS. Role of Immunotherapy in Breast Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 Jan 06; OP2200483.  View on PubMed
  8. Chan A, Ruiz-Borrego M, Marx G, Chien AJ, Rugo HS, Brufsky A, Thirlwell M, Trudeau M, Bose R, Garc?a-S?enz JA, Egle D, Pistilli B, Wassermann J, Cheong KA, Schnappauf B, Semsek D, Singer CF, Foruzan N, DiPrimeo D, McCulloch L, Hurvitz SA, Barcenas CH. Final findings from the CONTROL trial: Strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of neratinib-associated diarrhea in patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer. Breast. 2022 Dec 14; 67:94-101.  View on PubMed
  9. Johnston SRD, Toi M, O'Shaughnessy J, Rastogi P, Campone M, Neven P, Huang CS, Huober J, Jaliffe GG, Cicin I, Tolaney SM, Goetz MP, Rugo HS, Senkus E, Testa L, Del Mastro L, Shimizu C, Wei R, Shahir A, Munoz M, San Antonio B, Andr? V, Harbeck N, Martin M, monarchE Committee Members. Abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer (monarchE): results from a preplanned interim analysis of a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2023 Jan; 24(1):77-90.  View on PubMed
  10. Bajpai J, Pathak R, Shylasree TS, Rugo HS. Management of breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy: global perspectives. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2022 12; 22(12):1301-1308.  View on PubMed
  11. Lang JE, Forero-Torres A, Yee D, Yau C, Wolf D, Park J, Parker BA, Chien AJ, Wallace AM, Murthy R, Albain KS, Ellis ED, Beckwith H, Haley BB, Elias AD, Boughey JC, Yung RL, Isaacs C, Clark AS, Han HS, Nanda R, Khan QJ, Edmiston KK, Stringer-Reasor E, Price E, Joe B, Liu MC, Brown-Swigart L, Petricoin EF, Wulfkuhle JD, Buxton M, Clennell JL, Sanil A, Berry S, Asare SM, Wilson A, Hirst GL, Singhrao R, Asare AL, Matthews JB, Melisko M, Perlmutter J, Rugo HS, Symmans WF, van 't Veer LJ, Hylton NM, DeMichele AM, Berry DA, Esserman LJ. Safety and efficacy of HSP90 inhibitor ganetespib for neoadjuvant treatment of stage II/III breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2022 Dec 01; 8(1):128.  View on PubMed
  12. Lee JV, Housley F, Yau C, Nakagawa R, Winkler J, Anttila JM, Munne PM, Savelius M, Houlahan KE, Van de Mark D, Hemmati G, Hernandez GA, Zhang Y, Samson S, Baas C, Kok M, Esserman LJ, van 't Veer LJ, Rugo HS, Curtis C, Klefstr?m J, Matloubian M, Goga A. Author Correction: Combinatorial immunotherapies overcome MYC-driven immune evasion in triple negative breast cancer. Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 21; 13(1):7140.  View on PubMed
  13. Rugo HS, Im SA, Joy AA, Shparyk Y, Walshe JM, Sleckman B, Loi S, Theall KP, Kim S, Huang X, Bananis E, Mahtani R, Finn RS, Di?ras V. Effect of palbociclib plus endocrine therapy on time to chemotherapy across subgroups of patients with hormone receptor?positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2?negative advanced breast cancer: Post hoc analyses from PALOMA-2 and PALOMA-3. Breast. 2022 Dec; 66:324-331.  View on PubMed
  14. Borno HT, Kim MO, Tolstykh I, Lin A, Hong JC, Yousefi S, Zhang S, McKay RR, Harismendy O, Razavi P, Cinar P, Rugo H, Koshkin VS, Rabow M, Wang C, Bailey A, Small EJ. Assessing Unique Risk Factors for COVID-19 Complications Among Cancer Patients: A Multi-ethnic Cohort Study. J Immigr Minor Health. 2022 Nov 07.  View on PubMed
  15. Curigliano G, Shapiro GI, Kristeleit RS, Abdul Razak AR, Leong S, Alsina M, Giordano A, Gelmon KA, Stringer-Reasor E, Vaishampayan UN, Middleton M, Olszanski AJ, Rugo HS, Kern KA, Pathan N, Perea R, Pierce KJ, Mutka SC, Wainberg ZA. A Phase 1B open-label study of gedatolisib (PF-05212384) in combination with other anti-tumour agents for patients with advanced solid tumours and triple-negative breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 2023 Jan; 128(1):30-41.  View on PubMed
  16. Rugo HS, Kabos P, Beck JT, Jerusalem G, Wildiers H, Sevillano E, Paz-Ares L, Chisamore MJ, Chapman SC, Hossain AM, Chen Y, Tolaney SM. Abemaciclib in combination with pembrolizumab for HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer: Phase 1b study. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2022 Nov 05; 8(1):118.  View on PubMed
  17. Rugo HS, Im SA, Cardoso F, Cortes J, Curigliano G, Musolino A, Pegram MD, Bachelot T, Wright GS, Saura C, Escriv?-de-Roman? S, De Laurentiis M, Schwartz GN, Pluard TJ, Ricci F, Gwin WR, Levy C, Brown-Glaberman U, Ferrero JM, de Boer M, Kim SB, Petr?kov? K, Yardley DA, Freedman O, Jakobsen EH, Gal-Yam EN, Yerushalmi R, Fasching PA, Kaufman PA, Ashley EJ, Perez-Olle R, Hong S, Rosales MK, Gradishar WJ, SOPHIA Study Group. Margetuximab Versus Trastuzumab in Patients With Previously Treated HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer (SOPHIA): Final Overall Survival Results From a Randomized Phase 3 Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Jan 10; 41(2):198-205.  View on PubMed
  18. Rugo HS, Umanzor GA, Kwan MR, Cutler DL. Reply to Z.R. McCaw et al. J Clin Oncol. 2022 Nov 03; JCO2202157.  View on PubMed
  19. Rugo HS, Raskina K, Schrock AB, Madison RW, Graf RP, Sokol ES, Sivakumar SS, Lee JK, Fisher V, Oxnard GR, Tukachinsky H. Biology and targetability of the extended spectrum of PIK3CA mutations (PIK3CAm) detected in breast carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2022 Nov 02.  View on PubMed
  20. Huppert LA, Walker Z, Li M, Kim MO, Callan J, Brandman D, Majure M, Melisko ME, Rugo HS, Behr S, Chien AJ. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with metastatic breast cancer and pseudocirrhosis: a single center retrospective cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Jan; 197(1):137-148.  View on PubMed

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