Research and high-quality cancer care are inextricably linked. At the Dubin Breast Center, we tirelessly pursue better outcomes for breast cancer patients through interdisciplinary and translational research. Dubin Breast Center and Tisch Cancer Institute physicians and scientists partner to:

• Provide a high-risk surveillance program for individuals at high risk for developing breast cancer
• Identify the causes of breast cancer
• Study the reasons for disparities in breast cancer treatment
• Find novel approaches to treating breast cancer
• Understand breast cancer dormancy
• Explore new ways to prevent and diagnose breast cancer
• Evaluate the safety and efficacy of new and existing breast cancer treatments

“At Dubin we all share the same goal and vision—which is to provide patients with the best possible care for breast cancer that exists.”

Elisa Port, MD, Director of the Dubin Breast Center and Chief of Breast Surgery for the Mount Sinai Health System

Impact of Our Research

Amy Tiersten, MD, led a multicenter, phase I/II trial of dual HER2 antibodies in combination with palbociclib and anastrozole—a non-chemotherapy, all biologic approach to the treatment of HR+, HER2+ metastatic breast cancer in the front-line setting that showed a 97 percent clinical benefit rate. Dr. Tiersten and colleagues continually aim to develop effective treatment strategies with minimal toxicity based on the biology of specific disease subtypes.

Dr. Tiersten also led a randomized phase II trial of carboplatin plus everolimus versus carboplatin alone in women with metastatic triple negative breast cancer who had received up to three prior treatment regimens. The combination arm of carboplatin plus everolimus doubled the progression-free survival as compared to carboplatin alone. These results will inform future trials in this area.

Hanna Irie, MD, PhD, has collaborated with chemical biologists to develop and validate therapeutics that target drug-resistant disease. These collaborations have led to the discovery of novel drug candidates that inhibit growth and induce death of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cells by targeting genes responsible for metastasis and survival of cancer stem cells. Visit the Irie Lab to learn more.

Elisa Port, MD, heads the Mount Sinai Breast Tumor Biospecimen Repository. Started in 2013, the biospecimen repository has banked more than 1,900 breast tumor specimens that are used to research potential new treatments, detection methods, and surgical techniques for breast diseases.

Participate in Our Research

Breast cancer clinical trials bring tomorrow’s promising treatments to patients today.

Through breast cancer clinical trials, our expert physicians test alternative ways to diagnose and treat breast cancer. This paves the way for new treatments for future patients. Thanks to the countless patients who participate in breast cancer clinical trials, there have been major advances with the use of immunotherapy, molecularly-targeted treatment, and chemotherapy to improve the lives of breast cancer patients of all ages.

Five things you may not know about clinical trials at the Dubin Breast Center:

• Our breast cancer clinical trials offer patients earlier access to innovative breast cancer treatments.
• Our research team joins your care team to add an extra layer of expertise to your cancer care.
• Our breast cancer clinical trials are available throughout your cancer journey—when you are first diagnosed or if you experience a cancer recurrence. Breast cancer clinical trials are also available for patients who have finished treatment, and screening protocols are available for those who have never had breast cancer.
• Breast cancer trials never use placebos instead of standard treatments.
• Our breast cancer clinical trials are described in detail in many languages.

Ask your breast cancer doctor or click here to learn more about participating in a clinical trial.