Bruce Haffty, MD
Professor and Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Associate Director
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Dr. Haffty's research interest focuses on molecular and genetic factors that may be associated with radiation resistance and local-regional recurrence following treatment of breast cancer, which continues to be a significant pattern of failure, particularly in young women with breast cancer. His BCRF project relates to improving response rates with radiation by targeting the BCL-2 family of proteins, which are associated with resistance to radiation. His team has demonstrated and published in two separate journal articles in the past year that over-expression of BCL-2 and other BCL-2 family proteins is associated with higher recurrence rates. In the laboratory, Dr. Haffty and colleagues have targeted BCL-2 using several methods, including novel currently available anti-BCL-2 drugs, and have demonstrated improved breast cancer cell line response rates when radiation was combined with the anti-BCL-2 therapy. Ongoing laboratory and clinical studies are further evaluating the potential of utilizing BCL-2 inhibition in combination with radiation to improve outcomes.