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Melinda Telli

MD, FASCO
Professor of Medicine & Director, Breast Cancer Program
Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Melinda Telli, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine, is Director of the Breast Cancer Program and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Stanford Cancer Institute. She also serves as Associate Director of the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center. Dr. Telli’s research focuses on the development of novel therapies for the treatment of triple-negative, hereditary, and metastatic breast cancer. Dr. Telli currently has served as a Komen Scholar, Co-Chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline Advisory Group, and is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Breast Cancer Guideline Panel.

2026 Sessions

General Session

All Patients With TNBC Should Receive Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Yes vs No

Faculty will critically evaluate current evidence, including trial data, biomarkers, and patient selection considerations, to clarify where immunotherapy offers meaningful benefit...

  • Moderator
    • Kelly McCann, MD, PhD
  • Presenter
    • Melinda Telli, MD, FASCO
    • Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD
Breast Cancers

Yes

Faculty will critically evaluate current evidence, including trial data, biomarkers, and patient selection considerations, to clarify where immunotherapy offers meaningful benefit and where uncertainty remains in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Presenters will provide expert insight into translating evolving data into real-world clinical decision-making. Through this balanced discussion, participants will gain a nuanced understanding of the risks, benefits, and limitations of universal versus selective use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in TNBC.

Explore the rationale and evidence behind the use of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with TNBC. Discussion will review key clinical trial data, mechanisms of action, and the role of biomarkers in guiding treatment decisions. Faculty will also address ongoing controversies, including patient selection, toxicity considerations, and real-world applicability. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of broadly applying immunotherapy across the TNBC population.

Presenter

Saturday, March 14 11:10–11:30 AM
Room Royal Ballroom 1
Breast Cancers

Yuan Yuan

MD, PhD
Director, Breast Oncology
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Director, Breast Oncology; Medical Director, Breast Oncology DRG, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD is a Professor and Director of Breast Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She also serves as the Medical Director for Breast Cancer Research at Cedars. She received her medical degree at Xu Zhou Medical College in 1994 and Master of Oncology training at Peking Union Medical College in 1997. She completed PhD training in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at U.C. Riverside in 2002, internal medicine training at New York Downtown Hospital; HemOnc Fellowship at NYU. Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, she worked at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center from 2012-2022.

Her research focuses on translational and clinical studies investigating novel therapeutics in metastatic breast cancer. She has a strong background in basic sciences, clinical oncology and translational medicine with specific interest in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) chemotherapy resistance and novel therapeutics. She have successfully developed and completed several investigator initiated breast cancer immune therapy studies including a phase I/II trial combining letrozole, palbociclib and pembrolizumab in patients with HR+ metastatic BC (NCT02778685); a phase I/II trial androgen receptor (AR) targeted therapy GTx-024 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with metastatic AR+ TNBC (NCT02971761) and a phase IB study combining ipatasertib with carboplatin or carboplatin/paclitaxel or capecitabine/atezolizumab in patients with metastatic TNBC (NCT03853707); Phase I study of ivermectin and balstilimab in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (NCT05318469).

No

Faculty will critically evaluate current evidence, including trial data, biomarkers, and patient selection considerations, to clarify where immunotherapy offers meaningful benefit and where uncertainty remains in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Presenters will provide expert insight into translating evolving data into real-world clinical decision-making. Through this balanced discussion, participants will gain a nuanced understanding of the risks, benefits, and limitations of universal versus selective use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in TNBC.

Examine the evidence supporting a selective approach to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with TNBC. Faculty will review clinical trial data, biomarker-driven strategies, and patient-specific factors that influence treatment benefit and risk. The discussion will address toxicity, cost, and limitations of current evidence in certain TNBC subgroups, as well as how to individualize immunotherapy decisions to optimize outcomes while minimizing unnecessary treatment.

Presenter

Saturday, March 14 11:30–11:50 AM
Room Royal Ballroom 1
Breast Cancers

Melinda Telli

MD, FASCO
Professor of Medicine & Director, Breast Cancer Program
Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Melinda Telli, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine, is Director of the Breast Cancer Program and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Stanford Cancer Institute. She also serves as Associate Director of the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center. Dr. Telli’s research focuses on the development of novel therapies for the treatment of triple-negative, hereditary, and metastatic breast cancer. Dr. Telli currently has served as a Komen Scholar, Co-Chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline Advisory Group, and is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Breast Cancer Guideline Panel.

No

Faculty will critically evaluate current evidence, including trial data, biomarkers, and patient selection considerations, to clarify where immunotherapy offers meaningful benefit and where uncertainty remains in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Presenters will provide expert insight into translating evolving data into real-world clinical decision-making. Through this balanced discussion, participants will gain a nuanced understanding of the risks, benefits, and limitations of universal versus selective use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in TNBC.

Examine the evidence supporting a selective approach to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with TNBC. Faculty will review clinical trial data, biomarker-driven strategies, and patient-specific factors that influence treatment benefit and risk. The discussion will address toxicity, cost, and limitations of current evidence in certain TNBC subgroups, as well as how to individualize immunotherapy decisions to optimize outcomes while minimizing unnecessary treatment.

Presenter

Saturday, March 14 11:30–11:50 AM
Room Royal Ballroom 1
Breast Cancers

Melinda Telli

MD, FASCO
Professor of Medicine & Director, Breast Cancer Program
Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Melinda Telli, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine, is Director of the Breast Cancer Program and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Stanford Cancer Institute. She also serves as Associate Director of the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center. Dr. Telli’s research focuses on the development of novel therapies for the treatment of triple-negative, hereditary, and metastatic breast cancer. Dr. Telli currently has served as a Komen Scholar, Co-Chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline Advisory Group, and is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Breast Cancer Guideline Panel.
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