Breast Cancer Experts

October 28, 2008

Staff from the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital are available to share their expertise on all matters related to breast cancer, from detection to treatment and support, as well as the steps people can take to prevent it.


Breast Cancer — General

Dennis Holmes, M.D., is an assistant professor of clinical surgery at the Keck School of medicine of USC, director of new technology development at USC/Norris Cancer Center and Hospital and chief of the breast service at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. His most recent research has focused on the survival of women who elect to have lumpectomies for treatment of breast cancer versus those who have mastectomies. Holmes is also interested in pregnancy’s and hormone replacement therapy’s connection with breast cancer risk.

Christy Russell, M.D., is associate professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and chief of medicine at USC/Norris Cancer Hospital. Russell specializes in treating breast and testicular cancer. She currently serves as the principal investigator on multiple studies evaluating new treatments for patients with early and advanced breast cancer. Russell was statewide president of the California Division of the American Cancer Society in 2002-2003. She was also named chairwoman of the National American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Advisory Committee.


Cancer Genetics/Genetic Counseling

Charité Ricker, M.S., C.G.C, is the cancer genetic counselor and genetic services coordinator for the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital. She is a board certified genetic counselor with specialization in hereditary cancer risk assessment. She is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the American Association for Cancer Educators and the Intercultural Cancer Council. At USC/Norris’ Cancer Genetics Program, she works with patients to provide counseling and education to evaluate families for hereditary cancer.

Cancer Prevention/Causes of Cancer

Leslie Bernstein, Ph.D., is professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, AFLAC Chair in Cancer Research and scientific director of the Cancer Surveillance Program of Los Angeles County. She is also a leader in the California Teachers Study, a cohort study designed to learn more about breast and other cancers affecting women. Bernstein’s breast cancer research program has ongoing studies on etiology and pathogenesis, secondary outcomes following breast cancer treatment, factors affecting breast cancer prognosis and quality of life issues for the breast cancer survivor.

Michael Press, M.D., Ph.D., is professor of pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Harold E. Lee Chair for Cancer Research at USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Press is USC/Norris’ leading basic scientist in the study of the molecular and genetic causes of breast and ovarian cancer. He was the principal investigator of the American Cancer society’s study of HER-2/neu Proto-Oncogene in Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers. He has also studied multidrug resistance in breast cancer and the pathobiology of breast cancer.

Giske Ursin, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Her research focuses on the epidemiology of breast cancer and other hormone-dependent cancers. She is particularly interested in the role of hormones and hormone metabolism in cancer etiology and gene-environment interactions, as well as how mammograms can be used in the prevention of breast cancer. She recently completed a study that determined that the trend of African-American women having fewer children and breastfeeding less than in the past might translate to escalating rates of breast cancer in the African-American community.

Radiology/Radiation Oncology

Linda Hovanessian Larsen, M.D., is assistant professor of radiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Hovanessian’s clinical focus is on mammography and breast ultrasound. She also has a special competency in nuclear medicine. Her research interests include sentinel node biopsy, thermal medical imaging and computer-aided diagnosis with PET for axillary lymph nodes. Currently, she is participating in several trials, including the MammoSite Radiation Therapy System, a device that delivers radiation therapy from the inside out subsequent to breast conservation therapy/lumpectomy, as well as the MAMMEX TR CAD System, a computer-aided diagnosis system for detecting abnormal tissue in the breast.


Oscar Streeter, M.D., is associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and chief physician, radiation oncology, at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital. He serves as principal investigator for the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group at USC/Norris. Streeter also serves as co-chair for the Western Region of the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer.

Please contact Meghan Lewit at 323-442-3941 to arrange interviews.