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Adam Brufsky

MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh

Adam M. Brufsky, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He Medical Director, Women’s Cancer Center at the UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. He also serves as the Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives for the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
Dr. Brufsky received an in Chemistry (Cum Laude) from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He earned his MD and his PhD in Developmental Biology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, CT. He was an Intern and Resident in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. He then completed a Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, where his appointments included Associate Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.
Dr. Brufsky is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research. He has authored or co- authored more than 300 abstracts and research articles in leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Lancet Oncology. Dr. Brufsky is a Principal Investigator on several research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and US Army Breast Cancer Research Program.

2026 Sessions

General Session

Should We Order ctDNA in the Adjuvant Setting for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Outside of Clinical Trials?: Yes vs No

This debate will examine the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing in the adjuvant management of early-stage breast cancer outside of clinical trials. Faculty will explore...

  • Moderator
    • Kelly McCann, MD, PhD
  • Presenter
    • Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD
    • Jason Mouabbi, MD
Breast Cancers

Yes

This debate will examine the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing in the adjuvant management of early-stage breast cancer outside of clinical trials. Faculty will explore the potential clinical value of ctDNA for detecting minimal residual disease, guiding treatment escalation or de-escalation and informing prognosis. The discussion will also address limitations of current evidence, assay variability, and ethical and practical considerations. Session presenters will give their expert perspective on whether and how ctDNA testing should be integrated into routine adjuvant care.

Faculty will review emerging data supporting ctDNA as a tool for detecting minimal residual disease and identifying patients at higher risk for recurrence, addressing how ctDNA results may inform earlier intervention, treatment intensification, or closer surveillance. Participants will gain insight into the potential clinical utility of ctDNA testing in real-world adjuvant breast cancer care.

Presenter

Sunday, March 15 10:25–10:45 AM
Room Royal Ballroom 1
Breast Cancers

Jason Mouabbi

MD
Assistant Professor
MD Anderson Cancer Center

Jason A. Mouabbi, MD is an Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He completed his fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, followed by a clinical instructorship in Breast Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Mouabbi serves as the Chair of the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance and is the Co-Lead of the Hormone Receptor–Positive Working Group at MD Anderson. His research focuses on two main areas: (1) investigating the unique biology of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) compared to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), including the cellular, molecular, and genetic features of the ILC tumor microenvironment to identify novel therapeutic targets; and (2) developing and evaluating cutting-edge therapies for metastatic hormone receptor–positive (HR+) breast cancer, including both endocrine-sensitive and endocrine-refractory disease. Dr. Mouabbi is currently the principal investigator and co-investigator on multiple therapeutic clinical trials aimed at advancing treatment strategies for both ILC and HR+ metastatic breast cancer.

No

This debate will examine the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing in the adjuvant management of early-stage breast cancer outside of clinical trials. Faculty will explore the potential clinical value of ctDNA for detecting minimal residual disease, guiding treatment escalation or de-escalation and informing prognosis. The discussion will also address limitations of current evidence, assay variability, and ethical and practical considerations. Session presenters will give their expert perspective on whether and how ctDNA testing should be integrated into routine adjuvant care.

Current limitations in evidence, including uncertainty around clinical actionability, impact on outcomes, and optimal management of positive results, define the conversation around the use of ctDNA in cancer therapy. This discussion will address concerns related to assay variability, false positives, cost, and patient anxiety, and explore why ctDNA testing may be best reserved for investigational settings until prospective data clarify its role.

Presenter

Sunday, March 15 10:45–11:05 AM
Room Royal Ballroom 1
Breast Cancers

Adam Brufsky

MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh

Adam M. Brufsky, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He Medical Director, Women’s Cancer Center at the UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. He also serves as the Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives for the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
Dr. Brufsky received an in Chemistry (Cum Laude) from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He earned his MD and his PhD in Developmental Biology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, CT. He was an Intern and Resident in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. He then completed a Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, where his appointments included Associate Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.
Dr. Brufsky is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research. He has authored or co- authored more than 300 abstracts and research articles in leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Lancet Oncology. Dr. Brufsky is a Principal Investigator on several research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and US Army Breast Cancer Research Program.

No

This debate will examine the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing in the adjuvant management of early-stage breast cancer outside of clinical trials. Faculty will explore the potential clinical value of ctDNA for detecting minimal residual disease, guiding treatment escalation or de-escalation and informing prognosis. The discussion will also address limitations of current evidence, assay variability, and ethical and practical considerations. Session presenters will give their expert perspective on whether and how ctDNA testing should be integrated into routine adjuvant care.

Current limitations in evidence, including uncertainty around clinical actionability, impact on outcomes, and optimal management of positive results, define the conversation around the use of ctDNA in cancer therapy. This discussion will address concerns related to assay variability, false positives, cost, and patient anxiety, and explore why ctDNA testing may be best reserved for investigational settings until prospective data clarify its role.

Presenter

Sunday, March 15 10:45–11:05 AM
Room Royal Ballroom 1
Breast Cancers

Adam Brufsky

MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh

Adam M. Brufsky, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He Medical Director, Women’s Cancer Center at the UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. He also serves as the Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives for the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
Dr. Brufsky received an in Chemistry (Cum Laude) from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He earned his MD and his PhD in Developmental Biology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, CT. He was an Intern and Resident in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. He then completed a Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, where his appointments included Associate Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.
Dr. Brufsky is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research. He has authored or co- authored more than 300 abstracts and research articles in leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Lancet Oncology. Dr. Brufsky is a Principal Investigator on several research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and US Army Breast Cancer Research Program.
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