For more information, please contact the
Clinical Trials Unit at (310) 267-0499
Clinical Trials Unit for Breast Cancer
Dr. Helena Chang developed the Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) for Breast Cancer to bring discoveries from the bench to bedside. The CTU manages all on-going clinical research trials at the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center and helps to facilitate the collaboration between the clinic and laboratory. The CTU develops clinical protocols, case report forms and other research-related materials. It is responsible for managing the regulatory aspects of all trials conducted at the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center and other collaborating institutions and complying with regulatory requirements.
Current projects include:
- Clinical studies to examine biomarkers secreted in body fluids and their role in detection of early breast cancer.
- Studies treating locally advanced breast cancer with pre-operative treatment and to identify possible predictors of patient's response to treatment.
- A study to determine what factors affect a patient's decision to accept delayed adjuvant Herceptin® treatment after completing surgery.
Laboratory Research in Breast Cancer
Current breast cancer detection relies on breast examination and mammography, but both modalities have intrinsic limitations. The goal of Dr. Chang's research is to develop a blood test for breast cancer screening that can be used by women of all ages. Blood, urine, and nipple fluid from women with and without breast cancer are being compared for their protein compositions. The unique proteins and peptides characteristic of breast cancer, termed cancer biomarkers, will be identified by proteomic analysis, with the ultimate goal to develop a laboratory test for breast cancer screening that is safe, accurate, easy to perform and affordable.
Using the same technology, Dr. Chang is investigating another longstanding challenge faced by both doctors and patients. It has been long recognized that breast cancers of the same stage that appear similarly under the microscope and are treated identically may have very different outcomes: some are cured and others fail. The differences reside in the molecular makeup of each type of breast cancer. Therefore, uncovering the molecular signatures of different types of breast cancers holds great promise for the personalization of drug treatment. Dr. Chang's research team maps the protein biomarkers of breast cancers with distinctively different biological behaviors and clinical outcomes.
The novel tumor biomarkers discovered will be used to construct a cancer vaccine to stimulate one's own immune system to detect and destroy the emerging breast cancer cells.
