Clinical Perspectives in Breast Cancer – Highlights from Chicago 2023

Christine Brezden–Masley, MD PhD FRCPC is a practicing Medical Oncologist and the Medical Director of the Cancer Program at Sinai Health System in Toronto, Canada. She is also the Director of the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre at Sinai Health. She obtained her PhD in Medical Biophysics at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and her Medical Degree from the University of Toronto. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and an Associate Scientist at the Lunenfeld–Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Canada. From July 2012–June 2019, Dr. Brezden–Masley was the Division Head of Hematology/Oncology and Co–Director of the Hematology/Oncology Clinical Research Group at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Brezden–Masley is the founder of the COMET (Community Oncologists of Metropolitan Toronto) Clinical Trials Consortium, a web–based virtual network promoting cancer clinical trials throughout the Toronto region. She treats both breast and gastrointestinal (colorectal and gastric cancers) malignancies, which are her major areas of research interest. Her main area of clinical research is cardiotoxicity from cancer therapy and is the Past–President of the Canadian Cardio–Oncology Network from 2017–2022. She also serves on the International Cardio–Oncology Society (ICOS) annual summit steering committees and co–chaired the 2022 Global Cardio–Oncology Summit in Toronto. She co–chairs the Junior Mentoring Program JuMP that fosters mentorship/sponsorship of junior medical oncology faculty across Canada and serves on the executive of WinC (Women in Cancer/All in Cancer). She is an advocate for patients and serves as a board member of ReThink Breast Cancer and MyGutFeeling and also serves on the scientific committee for the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network.

Erika Hamilton, M.D., is a board-certified medical oncologist and the Director of Breast Cancer and Gynecologic Cancer Research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute. She specializes in breast cancer and gynecologic cancer treatment and research.

In her role, Dr. Hamilton oversees the research program and clinical trial menu for gynecologic and breast cancer from a medical oncology perspective.

Dr. Hamilton is a past chair of ASCO’s Scientific Breast Committee a ’21-’22, participant of the ASCO Leadership Development Program, Associate Editor for Clinical Breast Cancer, co-chair for Great Debates and Updates in Women’s Oncology Conference and a board member of the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Central Tennessee. She is a member of the European Society of Medical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and American Medical Association.

Dr. Hamilton serves as a reviewer for the medical journals Clinical Breast Cancer, New England Journal of Medicine, Oncology, American Journal of Hematology/Oncology and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. She has also spoken at numerous industry conferences and events.

She is active in the community, volunteering with Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Ovarcome ovarian cancer support organization, Brentwood Baptist Church and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Dr. Hamilton earned her medical degree from Washington and Lee University. She then completed an internal medicine residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a hematology/oncology fellowship at Duke University. During her fellowship, she was a Top 5 Finalist for Duke’s Annual House Staff Fellow Teaching Award.

When she is not treating patients and conducting research, Dr. Hamilton enjoys spending time with her daughters, attending their sporting events, going to parks and nature hiking. She also has a deep appreciation for great food.