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Michael DiGiovanna, MD, PhD

Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology); Chair, Breast Cancer Tumor Board, Yale Cancer Center; Curriculum Director, Office of Education; Thread Leader, Pharmacology, Office of Education; Master Course Co-Leader, Office of Education

Contact Information

Michael DiGiovanna, MD, PhD

Mailing Address

  • Medical Oncology

    PO Box 208032, 300 George Street

    New Haven, CT, 06520-8032

    United States

Yale Medicine

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Research Summary

We study signal transduction by growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases, focusing on the EGFR/HER2/ErbB family, including the impact of signaling by these receptors on clinical outcomes and response to targeted therapies for cancer, and their potential as therapeutic targets in novel combination therapies. A major focus in our laboratory has been the interaction of HER2 signaling with estrogen receptor (ER) signaling in breast cancer, and with IGF-I receptor signaling, and the effects of inhibitors of these receptors in combination targeted therapies. We have also found that in breast cancer patients, tumors harboring activated HER2 have adverse prognosis, and these tumors have co-overexpression of EGFR. We continue to study how signaling by these receptors impacts responses to different types of therapies and explore targeting these receptors in combination with other novel targeted therapeutics.

Specialized Terms: Breast cancer; HER-2/neu/ErbB-2; IGF1 receptor; EGF receptor; Growth factor receptor tyrosine protein kinases in malignancy; Estrogen receptor; Signal transduction; Breast cancer clinical trials

Extensive Research Description

We study signal transduction by growth factor receptor tyrosine
kinases, focusing on the EGFR/HER2/ErbB family, including the impact of
signaling by these receptors on clinical outcomes and response to
targeted therapies for cancer, and their potential as therapeutic
targets in novel combination therapies. A major focus in our laboratory
has been the interaction of HER2 signaling with estrogen receptor (ER)
signaling in breast cancer, and with IGF-I receptor
signaling, and the effects of inhibitors of these receptors in
combination targeted therapies. We have also found that in breast
cancer patients, tumors harboring activated HER2 have adverse
prognosis, and these tumors have co-overexpression of EGFR. We continue
to study how signaling by these receptors impacts responses to
different types of therapies and explore targeting these receptors in
combination with other novel targeted therapeutics.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Breast Neoplasms; Medical Oncology; Pharmacology; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Signal Transduction; Clinical Trial

Selected Publications

Clinical Trials

ConditionsStudy Title
BreastA Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III Trial of Paclitaxel/Trastuzumab/Pertuzumab With Atezolizumab or Placebo in First-Line HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
BreastA Phase I, Open-Label Study of D-0502 Single Agent and D-0502 in Combination With Palbociclib in Women With Advanced or Metastatic ER-Positive and HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Breast - Female; BreastTAILOR RT: A Randomized Trial of Regional Radiotherapy in Biomarker Low Risk Node Positive Breast Cancer
Breast - Female; Breast - Male; BreastA Randomized Phase III Trial Comparing Axillary Lymph Node Dissection to Axillary Radiation in Breast Cancer Patients (cT1-3 N1) Who Have Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Disease After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Breast - Female; BreastA Randomized Phase II Study to Evaluate Efficacy of T-DM1 With or Without Palbociclib in the Treatment of Patients With Metastatic HER2 Positive Breast Cancer
BreastRandomized Non-Inferiority Trial Comparing Overall Survival of Patients Monitored With Serum Tumor Marker Directed Disease Monitoring (STMDDM) Versus Usual Care in Patients With Metastatic Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer
Breast - Female; Phase IA Phase II Multiple-Arm, Open-Label, Randomized Study of PARP Inhibition (Veliparib; ABT-888) and Anti-PD-L1 Therapy (Atezolizumab; MPDL3280A) Either Alone or in Combination in Homologous DNA Repair (HDR) Deficient Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Breast - Female; Breast - MaleA Randomized, Phase III Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) as Adjuvant Therapy for Triple Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer With ≥ 1 cm Residual Invasive Cancer or Positive Lymph Nodes (ypN+) After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Breast - Female; Breast - MaleA Randomized Phase III Trial of Adjuvant Therapy Comparing Doxorubicin Plus Cyclophosphamide Followed by Weekly Paclitaxel With or Without Carboplatin for Node-Positive or High-Risk Node-Negative Triple-Negative Invasive Breast Cancer
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