Breast Cancer Experts

October 8, 2009

Faculty and 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
 
Debu Tripathy, M.D., is a professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and co-leader of the Women’s Cancer Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Tripathy’s primary area of interest is breast cancer therapy. For the past 20 years, he has studied growth factor receptors, important targets in breast and other cancers. He was part of the original team that brought the now commonly used drug Herceptin into clinical care. Currently, his focus is on expanding what is known about growth factor receptors and developing newer treatments for patients who are resistant to the existing therapeutic options. In addition to his expertise in clinical research, Tripathy is deeply involved in patient care and survivorship issues.
 
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 breast surgeon at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. His recent research 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. 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
 
 
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.
 
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 positron emission tomography for axillary lymph nodes.
 
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.
 
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