Back to Faculty
vkgadi
Faculty

VK Gadi

MD, PhD
Deputy Director
University of Illinois Cancer Center

I am a clinician investigator, community and peer educator, and health care administrator and leader working towards precision health equity in cancer working out of Chicago, Illinois. My scholarly work has centered around women's oncology, specifically breast cancer. Over my 34 year cancer career, I have made foundational contributions towards our understanding of cancer risk, diagnostics implementation, and therapeutics development. I am proud that our team's findings hold clinical impact affecting the course of many patients' care. I remain an active practicing clinician and am blessed to work collaboratively with many patients and their families on their cancer treatment and eventual survivorship journies.

2026 Sessions

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.

Debate Speaker

Saturday, September 26 10:50–11:10 AM
Breast Cancers
vkgadi
Faculty

VK Gadi

MD, PhD
Deputy Director
University of Illinois Cancer Center

I am a clinician investigator, community and peer educator, and health care administrator and leader working towards precision health equity in cancer working out of Chicago, Illinois. My scholarly work has centered around women's oncology, specifically breast cancer. Over my 34 year cancer career, I have made foundational contributions towards our understanding of cancer risk, diagnostics implementation, and therapeutics development. I am proud that our team's findings hold clinical impact affecting the course of many patients' care. I remain an active practicing clinician and am blessed to work collaboratively with many patients and their families on their cancer treatment and eventual survivorship journies.
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
    • VK Gadi, MD, PhD
    • Tiffany Traina, MD, FASCO
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.

Debate Speaker

Saturday, September 26 10:50–11:10 AM
Breast Cancers
vkgadi
Faculty

VK Gadi

MD, PhD
Deputy Director
University of Illinois Cancer Center

I am a clinician investigator, community and peer educator, and health care administrator and leader working towards precision health equity in cancer working out of Chicago, Illinois. My scholarly work has centered around women's oncology, specifically breast cancer. Over my 34 year cancer career, I have made foundational contributions towards our understanding of cancer risk, diagnostics implementation, and therapeutics development. I am proud that our team's findings hold clinical impact affecting the course of many patients' care. I remain an active practicing clinician and am blessed to work collaboratively with many patients and their families on their cancer treatment and eventual survivorship journies.

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.

Debate Speaker

Saturday, September 26 11:10–11:30 AM
Breast Cancers
Faculty

Tiffany Traina

MD, FASCO
Vice Chair, Department of Medicine
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Dr. Tiffany A. Traina is an Associate Attending Physician on the Breast Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She serves as Vice Chair of Operations for the Department of Medicine and Section Head of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Clinical Research Program. She is also Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Her research program centers on the development of therapies for patients with breast cancer, with a particular focus on Triple Negative Breast Cancer and the role of the androgen receptor. Dr. Traina is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and has held several leadership roles including past Chair for the ASCO Membership Committee, past Co-Chair of the Breast Cancer Guidelines Advisory Group and faculty mentor in the Leadership Development Program. Dr Traina is a graduate of the 2016-2017 ASCO Leadership Development Program and the MSK Physician Executive Development Program. She has Co-Chaired the MSK Outpatient Operations Committee, served as the Clinical Director of the Breast Medicine Service and recently Co-Chaired the Clinical Advisory Council for implementation of Epic across MSK. She has received recognition for her teaching from MSK and Weill Cornell and has been acknowledged with the Hally Yaccino Steiner Award from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Hero Award from the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation.
Back to top