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Faculty

Arielle Medford

MD
Attending Physician
Mass General Cancer Center

Dr. Medford obtained her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed internal medicine residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she won several awards including the Harvard Medical School Resident Teaching Award and the MGH Humanism in Medicine Award. She subsequently returned to the MGH to serve as Chief Resident. She completed her medical oncology fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Mass General Cancer Center, where she also became a clinical post-doctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT. She is now an attending medical oncologist at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses primarily on the clinical-translational applications of circulating tumor DNA in early and advanced breast cancer, and how these tools can be used to lead to more personalized care for individual patients living with breast cancer. Dr. Medford is a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation and a Paul Calabresi K12 Career Development Award.

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
    • Neil Iyengar, MD
    • Arielle Medford, 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.

Debate Speaker

Sunday, September 27 10:05–10:25 AM
Breast Cancers
Faculty

Neil Iyengar

MD

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.

Debate Speaker

Sunday, September 27 10:25–10:45 AM
Breast Cancers
Faculty

Arielle Medford

MD
Attending Physician
Mass General Cancer Center

Dr. Medford obtained her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed internal medicine residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she won several awards including the Harvard Medical School Resident Teaching Award and the MGH Humanism in Medicine Award. She subsequently returned to the MGH to serve as Chief Resident. She completed her medical oncology fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Mass General Cancer Center, where she also became a clinical post-doctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT. She is now an attending medical oncologist at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses primarily on the clinical-translational applications of circulating tumor DNA in early and advanced breast cancer, and how these tools can be used to lead to more personalized care for individual patients living with breast cancer. Dr. Medford is a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation and a Paul Calabresi K12 Career Development Award.

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.

Debate Speaker

Sunday, September 27 10:25–10:45 AM
Breast Cancers
Faculty

Arielle Medford

MD
Attending Physician
Mass General Cancer Center

Dr. Medford obtained her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed internal medicine residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she won several awards including the Harvard Medical School Resident Teaching Award and the MGH Humanism in Medicine Award. She subsequently returned to the MGH to serve as Chief Resident. She completed her medical oncology fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Mass General Cancer Center, where she also became a clinical post-doctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT. She is now an attending medical oncologist at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses primarily on the clinical-translational applications of circulating tumor DNA in early and advanced breast cancer, and how these tools can be used to lead to more personalized care for individual patients living with breast cancer. Dr. Medford is a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation and a Paul Calabresi K12 Career Development Award.
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