Dr. Debu Tripathy is a professor and chairman of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston.

Dr. Debu Tripathy

Dr. Debu Tripathy highlights the importance of staying informed on breast cancer advancements and how this empowers patients to make informed decisions.

The Power of Knowledge and Staying Informed in Breast Cancer Care

Staying up-to-date with all of the current information in the breast cancer treatment armamentarium is crucial for patients and their physicians to navigate the complexities of diagnosis, treatment and survivorship, according to Dr. Debu Tripathy. He added that having up-to-date knowledge can empower patients to make informed decisions about their health.

In an interview, Tripathy sat down with CURE to discuss the recent 

Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference and the Educated Patient Breast Cancer Summit

. These summits — which are half-day events that cover topics such as diagnosis, treatment options, genomics and clinical trials — provide essential resources to support patients.

Tripathy also went on to highlight the importance of staying informed about cancer advancements and how this empowers patients and caregivers to make informed decisions. Notably, he previously served as a professor and chairman of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, and as the editor-in-chief at CURE, prior to his retirement in March of 2025.

I think it's important for patients to be informed of where the science is going, where the clinical trials are going and what they're exploring. A patient really needs to be informed in as many ways as they can be. They get some of this, of course, through their medical oncologist, through the nurse practitioner and through the whole medical care team. But of course, that is variable from place to place, so it's good for them to supplement their learning through other channels.

CURE magazine and CURE enterprises in general have been so good at coming up with digestible information that patients can use to augment their care. “What do I do in this situation? What do the tests tell me to do? What can I expect to see in the future? What clinical trials might be appropriate for me?” These are all questions that we hope to answer through forums [like the Educated Patient Breast Cancer Summit] and make it easier for the patients.

Videos

Dr. Debu Tripathy discusses recent research on the use of circulating tumor DNA in metastatic breast cancer care.

The Role of Circulating Tumor DNA in Breast Cancer Monitoring 

Circulating tumor DNA, also referred to as ctDNA, are small pieces of DNA that are released into a person’s blood by tumor cells as they die, according to the National Cancer Institute. A blood sample can then be used to monitor risks of cancer recurrences, as well as to help plan treatment, or to find out how well treatment is working.

42nd Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference

, Dr. Debu Tripathy sat down for an interview with CURE to discuss the utility of circulating tumor DNA in metastatic breast cancer where he emphasized that its role remains largely investigational. He discusses recent research on the use of circulating tumor DNA in breast cancer care and the critical need for further trials to guide treatment decisions.

Tripathy previously served as a professor and chairman of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, and as the editor-in-chief at CURE, prior to his retirement in March of 2025.

At the current time, circulating tumor DNA in patients with early-stage breast cancer, we know, is a risk factor for and predictor of recurrence. Right now, most of the work in this area is in the investigational setting, where trials are taking patients who've had early-stage breast cancer and are free of disease at the time, and drawing their blood serially every four to six months, depending on the study. If [the blood] becomes positive [for circulating tumor DNA], those patients are at high risk for recurrence.

The first thing studies will do is get a scan to see that [the patient] does not already have actual metastasis, and if they don't, then we'd consider them to have minimal residual disease. That means they have something there. We can't see it on scans yet, but they are at risk for progression, and the trials right now are looking at whether or not we can change their outcome by giving them a specific drug, either another hormonal therapy, or some of the targeted therapies.

In the case of triple-negative breast cancer, studies are looking at things like immunotherapy, and so far, the studies are very early, and we don't have a clear answer. We do know that in triple-negative cancer, the trials done so far don't seem to work, because these patients still go on to develop metastatic cancer. Right now, circulating tumor DNA, in my opinion, remains an investigational tool. Some people do it just as standard of care [and some of] these tests are approved. One of them is approved and covered, so you can get it done, and it is getting ordered by a lot of oncologists, but we don't know what to do with the results yet. We don't have a defined therapy for it, so we need more research in this area so that we can test the drugs that can give patients a second chance at being free of cancer. Those trials are in progress, and if people want to have it done, I think what they should do is look for a trial in which they can participate.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness

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Our longtime editor-in-chief offers advice to his successor while discussing the news and education CURE magazine provides for patients with cancer, families and caregivers.

Discussing the Mission of CURE With Our Former and New Editors-In-Chief

The new editor-in-chief of CURE, Dr. Joshua K. Sabari, recently sat down for a wide-reaching conversation with his predecessor, Dr. Debu Tripathy, to discuss their vision for CURE, how cancer care has evolved over the years and much more.

Tripathy has retired after 18 years as the 

. The staff of CURE is incredibly grateful for the insight, guidance and inspiration offered by Tripathy, formerly a professor and chairman of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology in the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Sabari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Watch the full conversation with Tripathy and Sabari on 

 Dr. Tripathy, asking for myself, what advice [do you have] for me moving forward into this role that you so eloquently led for the last 18 years? What do you charge me and with patients, our readership moving forward into hopefully the coming 18 years?

 Well, one thing that I have really enjoyed about my tenure as the editor-in-chief is that I have learned more about other cancers through CURE itself and through my patients. And of course, we do have to study for the board, so I do learn it that way.

 really took the lead when the molecular revolution came around. It was one of the transformers. And boy, did it make a difference. Look at the statistics now in terms of how much better individuals with lung cancer are surviving, and it has really made a big difference.

So, communicating all of this and having patients aware of their options and what lies behind it is so important. So the one piece of advice is, is to make this understandable, be out in front of where the patient needs to be. I think that when a patient reads an issue of CURE magazine — let's say they've been recently diagnosed, or they're moving on to a different line of therapy, I think that what we can provide them can complement what they're hearing from their care team.

It is very involved and very sophisticated material that we are expecting them to know, but I know they're up for the challenge. And if they're able to read an article that coincides with what they have, or if they can even go back to 

 online or in print, I think it will help them ask the right questions and understand a little bit better what they're hearing from the physicians.

So, I think that that is an important thing to keep in mind. Again, this is a patient-driven effort we're living with and we're contributing to. And I think that those really are our guiding principles. I look at CURE magazine sort of as the third rail, and to really help provide that information and perspective that is unique, that uniquely can come from this particular venue, and the way we state it and communicate it.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

 Discussing the Mission of CURE With Our Former and New Editors-In-Chief

CURE magazine's outgoing editor-in-chief reflects on 18 years of progress in cancer care, honors his predecessor and prepares to pass the editorial reins.

It has been a special honor to serve as editor-in-chief of CURE magazine for the past 18 years. During that time, we have witnessed an accelerating pace of advances in cancer care and the underlying biology that drives it. It was also a privilege to follow the previous and co-founding editor, 

, an informed cancer survivor and wise observer who encouraged those around her to learn, act and collaborate to combine humanity and science to normalize the lives of patients with cancer. It is now my turn to hand over the editorial reins, so I take this opportunity to look back at where we have been and what we have learned, especially how the future might look in this dynamic era.

There have been successive revolutions from the earliest advances in pathology to understand that cancer came from our own cells and later to classify cancers based on the area of the body from where they arose and the accompanying clinical features. Radiation was one of the first tools that brought some relief for select patients, and the advent of chemotherapy was born out of the battlefield where nitrogen mustard, a caustic agent used in combat, was found to be effective for lymphoma and subsequent modifications created our first inventory of chemotherapy agents. Scientific advances have been made in understanding cellular physiology, receptors and aberrations in DNA as the ultimate culprit of almost all cancers.

The genetic basis of cancer and advances in model systems that could mimic cancer in the laboratory provided targets that can be pharmacologically addressed in an explosion of new and successive therapies that were better than their predecessors. That brings us to the modern era, where many patients can expect new drugs to be developed over the course of their disease. The emerging use of artificial intelligence in every aspect of our lives is moving us at warp speed with forecasting the behavior of cancer and helping us decipher the genomic and biochemical intricacies of cancer evolution and optimal methods to arrest the cancer machinery that can make the most difficult cancers more treatable. Importantly, we expect that advances can be made in preventing cancer or detecting it long before it can take hold. We are learning more about lifestyles that can modify the timeline of aging and cancer. Even when cancer is diagnosed at later stages, treatments are being modified to have less harmful effects on the body and spirit. Combining the latest technologies with integrative approaches is making the trek through cancer smoother and less disruptive.

Over the history of CURE magazine, we have come along way, and we will continue to report on the challenges and successes in the accompanying stories that bring to life developing knowledge, along with personal stories and perspectives that can teach, illuminate and inspire.

Articles

Reflecting on 18 years as editor-in-chief of CURE magazine, significant advancements in cancer care and biology have been observed. From early pathology to modern therapies, the understanding of cancer has evolved, with breakthroughs in genetics and model systems leading to new treatments. Artificial intelligence is accelerating cancer research, aiding in understanding and treating complex cases. Future prospects include cancer prevention, early detection, and less harmful treatments. CURE magazine remains committed to sharing stories that educate and inspire, highlighting ongoing challenges and successes in cancer care.

CURE magazine's outgoing editor-in-chief, Dr. Debu Tripathy, reflects on 18 years of advances in cancer care, the impact of AI and the evolving future of oncology treatment.

Dr. Debu Tripathy

The Power of Knowledge and Staying Informed in Breast Cancer Care

The Role of Circulating Tumor DNA in Breast Cancer Monitoring

Discussing the Mission of CURE With Our Former and New Editors-In-Chief

We Have Come a Long Way

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