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Barbara Burtness, MD

Anthony N. Brady Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chief Translational Research Officer, Yale Cancer Center; Chief, Head and Neck Cancers/Sarcoma; Co-Leader, Developmental Therapeutics, Yale Cancer Center; Associate Cancer Center Director for Translational Research, Yale Cancer Center

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Barbara Burtness, MD

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Research Summary

Studies of targeted treatments for EGFR expressed head and neck cancers, including biomarkers of resistance and novel strategies such as dual EGFR blockade, to overcome resistance. She leads the ECOG-ACRIN Head and Neck Therapeutics Committee, which conducts large multicenter trials in head and neck cancer, including studies of treatment deintensification in HPV-associated cancer, and molecularly guided post-operative therapy. She chairs multicenter trials of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in head and neck cancer.

Specialized Terms: EGFR expressed head and neck cancers.

Extensive Research Description

Studies of targeted treatments for EGFR expressed head and neck cancers, including biomarkers of resistance and novel strategies such as dual EGFR blockade, to overcome resistance. She has demonstrated that loss of PTEN indicates resistance to EGFR inhibition in head and neck cancer, and studied novel dual EGFR/HDAC inhibitors and combined antibody and tyrosine kinase inhibition as strategies to improve responsiveness to EGFR inhibition. She leads the ECOG-ACRIN Head and Neck Therapeutics Committee, which conducts large multicenter trials in head and neck cancer, and chairs multicenter trials of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in head and neck cancer. Her laboratory studies novel combinatorial therapies to target p53 mutated head and neck cancer.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Drug Therapy; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Medical Oncology; Chemicals and Drugs; Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment

Selected Publications

Clinical Trials

ConditionsStudy Title
Larynx; Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxA Phase II Randomized Trial of Adjuvant Therapy With Pembrolizumab After Resection of Recurrent/Second Primary Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma With High Risk Features
Esophagus; Larynx; Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxA Phase II/III Randomized Study of Maintenance Nivolumab Versus Observation in Patients With Locally Advanced, Intermediate Risk HPV Positive OPCA
Other SkinA Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate Pembrolizumab Versus Placebo as Adjuvant Therapy Following Surgery and Radiation in Participants With High-risk Locally Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LA cSCC) (KEYNOTE-630)
Larynx; Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxSingle-Arm Phase II Trial of Dual Inhibition of EGFR With Afatinib and Cetuximab With Correlative Studies in the Second-Line Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Cancers of the Head and Neck
Larynx; Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxPhase II Randomized Trial of Adjuvant Radiotherapy With or Without Cisplatin for p53 Mutated, Surgically Resected Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN)
Larynx; Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxRadiation Therapy With Cisplatin, Docetaxel, or Cetuximab After Surgery in Treating Patients With Stage III-IV Squamous Cell Head and Neck Cancer
Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxA Window Trial of 5-Azacytidine or Nivolumab or Combination Nivolumab Plus 5-Azacytidine in Resectable HPV-Associated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer
Larynx; Lip, Oral Cavity and Pharynx; Phase IPilot Study of Non-invasive Measurement of PD-L1 Levels With Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in Head and Neck Malignancies and Intracranial Metastases
Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxRandomized Phase II/III Trial of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Versus Elective Neck Dissection for Early-Stage Oral Cavity Cancer
Lip, Oral Cavity and PharynxA Phase II/III Trial of Chemotherapy + Cetuximab vs Chemotherapy + Bevacizumab vs Atezolizumab + Bevacizumab Following Progression on Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancers
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