Kathleen Malone, PhD

Dr. Kathi Malone studies the causes of breast cancer and factors that influence how a patient will fare after treatment. Things that can impact patients’ outcomes include genetics, environment and lifestyle. She wants to know how factors such as oral contraceptives, hormone therapy, body size, alcohol use and prescription medications can increase or decrease a woman’s risk for breast cancer (or recurrence). She then uses this information to develop strategies to help women reduce their risk. Dr. Malone has done extensive research on BRCA1/2 genetic mutations that increase breast cancer risk. One of her studies found that women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 55 who carried one of these mutations were four times more likely to develop cancer in the breast opposite, or contralateral, to their initial tumor as compared to non-carriers of BRCA1/2. She also has studied the frequency of BRCA1/2 mutations in understudied groups such as African Americans and postmenopausal women. Her research extends to treatment-related issues, including the influence of radiation therapy on the risk of a second primary breast cancer.