Katherine Tkaczuk, MD

Education

1978-1984: Undergraduate and Medical Doctor Degree, Wroclaw Medical Academy, Wroclaw, Poland, Akademia Medyczna Im. Piastow Slaskich we Wroclawiu.

1985-1986: Research, Pathology Department, Hahnemann Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Post Graduate Education and Training

Internship (Medical)

1986-1987: St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland

Residency (Medical)

1987-1989: St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland

Fellowship (Hematology/Oncology)

1989-1992: University of Maryland Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland; Veterans Administration Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland

My research interests are focused on clinical drug development in in breast cancer (BC). From 1992 to present I have been involved in 100+ phase 1-3 clinical trials and have served as the institutional principal investigator (PI) on the majority of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) BC specific clinical trials. The UMGCC “Hormonal Sensitive Program” (BREAST and PROSTATE) was instrumental in the UMGCC receiving the P30 grant funding and the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation in 2016. Our Clinical Breast Cancer Program contributes substantial numbers of patients to institutional and national/cooperative group clinical trials with rates of accrual much higher than the national average.  In addition we also have excellent participation and accrual of minorities to our clinical trials, many of our trials have 40-50% AAF accruals. As the Director of UMGCCC Breast Evaluation and Treatment Program (BETP), a multidisciplinary program with commitment to comprehensive, multidisciplinary breast cancer care, I have been overseeing the clinical and research aspects of the program for several years.   The UMGCCC clinical breast program continues to work in the area of clinical drug development with the focus on hormone resistance, role of microtentacles in breast cancer metastasis, the significance of brown adipose tissue in pathogenesis and progression of breast cancer, the GP-88 circulating marker and its significance in patients with breast cancer and in screening for breast cancer. In my role of the Director of the Breast Evaluation and Treatment Program at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center I am wholeheartedly committed to the successful progress of our program and have the ability to facilitate breast cancer patient accruals to translational clinical projects.

* Breast Cancer, stage 1-4 * Clinical Trials in early and advanced breast cancer, Phase 1-3 *Circulating Tumor Cells * GP-88 * Drug Response Indicator Test

Eisenberger M, Egorin M, Jodrell D, Zukowski E, Sinibaldi V, Jacobs S, Karesh J, Reyno L, and Tkaczuk K. Clinical experience with Suramin in a Phase I trial. Preliminary evidence of significant antitumor activity in prostate CA: The University of Maryland experience. Cancer Investigation VIO Suppl I 1992.

Eisenberger M, Reyno L, Jodrell D, Sinibaldi V, Tkaczuk, K, Sridhara, R, Zukowski, E., Lowitt, M., Jacobs, S., and Egorin, M. Suramin, an active drug for prostate cancer, interim observations in a Phase I trial. JNCI 85:.611-621, 1993.

Jodrell DI, Reyno L, Sridhara R, Eisenberger M, Tkaczuk K, Zuhowski E, Sinibaldi V, Novak M, and Egorin M. Suramin: Development of a Population Pharmacokinetic Model and Its Use With Intermittent Short Infusions to Control Plasma Drug Concentration in Patients with Prostate Cancer. J Clin Oncol 12(1):166-175, 1994.

Eisenberger M, Sinibaldi V, Reyno L, Sridhara R, Jodrell D, Zuhowski E, Tkaczuk K, Lowitt M, Hemady R, Jacobs S, VanEcho D, Egorin M. Phase-I and Clinical evaluation of Pharmacologically Guided Regimen of Suramin in Patients with Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer. J Clin Oncol 13(9):2174-2186, 1995.

Tkaczuk KH, Zamboni WC, Tait NS, Meisenberg BR, Doyle LA, Hausner PF, Edelman MJ, Egorin MJ, Van Echo DA. Phase I Study of Docetaxel and Topotecan in Patients with Solid Tumors. Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacol. 46(6):442-8, 2000.

Gojo I, Tkaczuk KH.A phase I study of paclitaxel, UFT, and leucovorin. Oncology (Hunting). 10(9):6-8, 2000.

Zamboni WC, Egorin MJ, Van Echo DA, Meisenberg B, Brooks S, Doyle LA, Nemieboka NN, Dobson JM, Day R, Tait NS, Tkaczuk KH. Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of the Combination of Docetaxel and Topotecan. J Clin Oncol.18(18):3288-94, 2000

Althuis SM, Bush TL, Tkaczuk K, Magaziner J, Khoo L. Surveillance for uterine abnormalities in tamoxifen-treated breast cancer survivors. Cancer. 89(4):800-10, 2000.

Neumaitis J, Eager R, Twaddell T, Corey A, Secar K, Tkaczuk K, Thompson J, Pazdur R. Phase I assessment of the pharmacokinetics, metabolism and safety of Emitefur (BOF-A2) in patients with refractory solid tumors. J Clin Oncol. 18(19):3423-34, 2000.

Kornblith AB, Herndon JE, Zuckerman EL, Viscoli CM, Horwitz RI, Cooper MR, Harris LN, Tkaczuk KH, Perry MC, Budman DR, Norton L, Holland JC, support as a buffer to stressful life events in the psychosocial adjustment of breast cancer patients. Cancer 15;91(2):443-54, 2001.

Batist G, Ramakrishnan G, Rao CS, Chandrasekharan A, Gutheil J, Guthrie T, Shah P, Khojasteh A, Nair MK, Hoelzer K, Tkaczuk K, Park YC, Lee LW. Reduced cardiotoxicity and preserved antitumor efficacy of liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide compared with conventional doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in a randomized, multicenter trial of metastatic breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 19(5):1444-54, 2001.

Toppmeyer D, Seidman AD, Pollak M, Russell C, Tkaczuk K, Verma S, Overmoyer B, Garg V, Ette E, Harding MW, Demetri GD. Safety and efficacy of the multidrug resistance inhibitor Incel (biricodar; VX-710) in combination with paclitaxel for advanced breast cancer refractory to paclitaxel. Clin Cancer Res 8(3):670-8, 2002.

Cui Y, Whiteman MK, Langenberg P, Sexton M, Tkaczuk KH, Flaws JA, Bush TL. Can obesity explain the racial difference in stage of breast cancer at diagnosis between black and white women? J Womens Health Gend Based Med 11(6):527-36, 2002.

Nabholtz JM, Cantin J, Chang J, Guevin R, Patel R, Tkaczuk K, Vodvarka P, Lindsay MA, Reese D, Riva A, Mackey J. Phase III Trial Comparing Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor to Leridistim in the Prevention of Neutropenic Complications in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Docetaxel/ Doxorubicin/Cyclophosphamide: Results of the BCIRG 004 Trial. Clin Breast Cancer 3(4):268-75, 2002.

Fleming GF, Meropol NJ, Rosner GL, Hollis DR, Carson WE 3rd, Caligiuri M, Mortimer J, Tkaczuk K, Parihar R, Schilsky RL, Ratain MJ. A phase I trial of escalating doses of trastuzumab combined with daily subcutaneous interleukin 2: report of cancer and leukemia group B 9661. Clin Cancer Res 8(12):3718-27, 2002.

Cui Y, Whiteman MK, Flaws JA, Langenberg P, Tkaczuk KH, Bush TL. Body Mass and Stage of Breast Cancer at Diagnosis, Int. Journal of Cancer 98:279-283, 2003.

Swenson CE, Bolcsak LE, Batist G, Guthrie TH Jr, Tkaczuk KH, Boxenbaum H, Welles L, Chow SC, Bhamra R, Chaikin P. Pharmacokinetics of doxorubicin administered i.v. as Myocet (TLC D-99; liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate) compared with conventional doxorubicin when given in combination with cyclophosphamide in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Anticancer Drugs 14(3):239-46, 2003.

Henderson IC, Berry DA, Demetri GC, Cirrincione CT, Goldstein LJ, Martino S, Ingle JN, Cooper MR, Hayes DF, Tkaczuk KH, Fleming G, Holland JF, Duggan DB, Carpenter JT, Frei E 3rd, Schilsky RL, Wood WC, Muss HB, Norton L. Improved outcomes from adding sequential Paclitaxel but not from escalating Doxorubicin dose in an adjuvant chemotherapy regimen for patients with node-positive primary breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 21(6):976-83, 2003.

Sheth HR, Lord G, Tkaczuk KH, Danton M, Lewis LM, Langenberg P, Lim CK, Flaws JA. Aging may be associated with concentrations of tamoxifen and its metabolites in breast cancer patients. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 12(8):799-808, 2003.

Gallicchio L, Lord G, Tkaczuk K, Danton M, Lewis LM, Lim CK, Flaws JA. Association of tamoxifen (TAM) and TAM metabolite concentrations with self-reported side effects of TAM in women with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 85(1):89-97, 2004.

Gallicchio L, Tkaczuk K, Lord G, Danton M, Lewis LM, Lim CK, Flaws JA. Medication use, tamoxifen (TAM), and TAM metabolite concentrations in women with breast cancer. Cancer Lett 211(1):57-67, 2004.

Tucker AN, Tkaczuk K, Lewis, LM, Tomic R, Lim CK, Flaws JA. Polymorphisms in cytochrome P4503A5 (CYP3A5) may be associated with race and tumor characteristics, but not metabolism and side effects of Tamoxifen in breast cancer patients. Cancer Letters 217(1):61-72, 2005.

Royak-Schaler R, DeYoung C, Khakpour N, Ross D, Tkaczuk K, Gadalla S. Readers respond to "balancing evidence-based medicine and cultural competence in the quest to end healthcare disparities". MedGenMed. 2006;8(3):73.

Tkaczuk KH, Goloubeva O, Tait N, Feldman F, Tan M, Lum Z-P, Lesko SA, Van Echo DA, Ts'o PO. The significance of circulating epithelial cells in breast cancer patients by a novel negative selection method. Breast Cancer Res. Treat., 12/2007.

Zhan M, Flaws JA, Gallicchio L,Tkaczuk K, Lewis LM, Royak-Schaler R. Profiles of tamoxifen-related side effects by race and smoking status in women with breast cancer. Cancer Detection and Prevention, 31, 384-390, 2007.

Liu MC, Demetri GD, Berry DA, Norton L, Broadwater G, Robert NJ, Duggan D, Hayes DF, Henderson IC, Lyss A, Hopkins J, Kaufman PA, Marcom PK, Younger J, Lin N, Tkaczuk K, Winer EP, Hudis CA; Cancer and Leukemia Group B. Dose-escalation of filgrastim does not improve efficacy: clinical tolerability and long-term follow-up on CALGB study 9141 adjuvant chemotherapy for node-positive breast cancer patients using dose-intensified doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel. Cancer Treat Rev. 2008 May;34(3):223-30. Epub 2008 Jan 30.

Books/Chapters

Jarrell B E, Carter WB, Berg W, Tkaczuk KH. Breast Disorders. In: National Medical Series for Independent Study: Surgery Casebook. Baltimore, Maryland. Lippincott Williams & Wilkens, 2003.

Fontanilla E, Tkaczuk K. Oncologic Diseases. In: Wolfsthal's (ed) NMS-Medicine. Sixth Edition, Chapter 4, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland, 2008