Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine
Articles by Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine

HER2-Negative and HER2-Low mBC: Key Takeaways
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how the field has made exciting strides, with oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) likely moving into early-stage disease and the need for alternative antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads beyond topoisomerase I inhibitors to overcome resistance mechanisms.

Defining HER2-Low and -Ultralow Expression: Practical Challenges and Solutions
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how HER2 testing challenges for identifying HER2-low and -ultralow expression require coordination with pathologists and may involve

Sequencing ADCs in HER2-Low and -Ultralow mBC: Clinical Considerations and Emerging Evidence
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how they approach sequencing decisions for patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2- low/ultralow disease, emphasizing selective use of trastuzumab deruxtecan in first-line chemotherapy settings while considering quality-of-life factors.

DESTINY-Breast06: Updates From Subgroup and Biomarker Analyses
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how subgroup analyses from DESTINY-Breast06 show trastuzumab deruxtecan benefits across different mutation groups, with particularly strong responses in patients with BRCA1/2-mutated disease due to the topoisomerase I inhibitor payload.

Navigating Treatment Selection for HER2-Low and -Ultralow Metastatic Breast Cancer
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how treatment options for HER2-low and HER2-ultralow metastatic breast cancer include trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and sacituzumab govitecan, with sequencing becoming a key consideration.

Balancing Efficacy and Safety of ADCs in HER2– Metastatic Breast Cancer
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how to manage toxicities associated with datopotamab deruxtecan, particularly ocular toxicity and stomatitis, using prophylactic measures such as steroid mouthwash and eye drops.

Evolving ADC Strategies in HER2– mBC: TROPION-Breast01 and Real-World Data From ASCO 2025
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how datopotamab deruxtecan from the TROPHY-PD-01 trial compares with sacituzumab govitecan, highlighting different toxicity profiles and the challenge of sequencing multiple antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with the same TROP2 payload.

TROPiCS-02 Trial: Sacituzumab Govitecan in HR+/HER2– Breast Cancer
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how the TROPiCS-02 trial established sacituzumab govitecan for hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer and how it influences sequencing decisions with other antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) such as trastuzumab deruxtecan.

When to Introduce ADCs in HR+/HER2– mBC
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how they decide when to transition from endocrine-based therapies to antibody-drug conjugates, considering factors such as endocrine sensitivity, disease burden, and pace of progression.

Optimizing Treatment Selection and Sequencing in HR+/HER2– mBC
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how to approach decision-making among PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors (capivasertib, alpelisib, everolimus) based on mutation status, toxicity profiles, and dosing schedules in the second-line setting.

Efficacy and Safety of Next-Generation Oral SERDs for HR+/HER2– mBC
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how upcoming oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs; eg, camasertinib, imlunestrant, and giredestrant) are showing efficacy primarily in populations with ESR1 mutations and are all well-tolerated oral agents that will likely receive approvals.

The Role of Elacestrant in the Treatment of ER+/HER2– mBC
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how elacestrant from the EMERALD trial is being incorporated into practice based on ESR1 mutation status and duration of prior CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy, with combination approaches being explored in the ELEVATE trial.

Camizestrant in HR+/HER2– mBC: Emerging Data From the SERENA-6 Trial
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how the SERENA-6 trial design uses circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring to detect ESR1 mutations and switch patients from aromatase inhibitors to oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) such as camasertinib while continuing CDK4/6 inhibitors.

Biomarker Testing Strategies in Metastatic Breast Cancer
ByRebecca A. Shatsky, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD,Nusayba Bagegni, MD,Alexis LeVee, MD Panelists discuss how they will review the latest updates in hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative, and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, focusing on oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), targeted therapies, and antibody-drug conjugates presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

Rita Nanda, MD, discusses the future of neoadjuvant treatment for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Therapeutic Advances in Prophylaxis Against CIN
ByHope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,William J. Gradishar, MD, Northwestern University,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Tiffany A. Traina, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center An overview of therapies used as prophylaxis against chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and projections on improving quality of life for patients with solid tumors with therapeutic advances.

CIN: Adopting SIMBA Therapy Into Clinical Practice
ByHope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,William J. Gradishar, MD, Northwestern University,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Tiffany A. Traina, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center A panel of oncologists react to their interest in using plinabulin as prophylaxis against chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in future clinical practice.

Implications for treating patients with solid tumor cancers with plinabulin based on quality-of-life data and results demonstrated by the PROTECTIVE-2 trial.

CIN: Takeaways From the PROTECTIVE-1 Study
ByHope S. Rugo, MD,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,Tiffany A. Traina, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,William J. Gradishar, MD, Northwestern University An overview of the design and results of the PROTECTIVE-1 study of plinabulin versus pegfilgrastim in patients with solid tumors receiving docetaxel myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

What to know about plinabulin, a first-in-class selective immunomodulating microtubule-binding agent (SIMBA), in preventing chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

CIN Prophylaxis and Bone Pain
ByHope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,William J. Gradishar, MD, Northwestern University,Tiffany A. Traina, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine Recommendations regarding how to best manage patients who experience bone pain from chemotherapy-induced neutropenia prophylaxis with growth factor support.

Breast oncologists discuss how they weigh the efficacy of anticancer treatment with the possibility of a treatment-related adverse event, like chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

Managing CIN in Patients With Breast Cancer
ByHope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,Tiffany A. Traina, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,William J. Gradishar, MD, Northwestern University Preventive therapies and factors that impact how to best mitigate chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with breast cancer.

Recommendations for intervening with growth factor support and important considerations for reducing or discontinuing anti-cancer therapy when patients show signs of neutropenia.

G-CSFs for Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia
ByHope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,William J. Gradishar, MD, Northwestern University,Tiffany A. Traina, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine Breast oncologists react to the availability of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors, used as prophylaxis against chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

Variables that oncologists should consider when determining when to initiate prophylactic therapy for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with breast cancer.

Consequences of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia
ByHope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,Rita Nanda, MD, The University of Chicago Medicine,William J. Gradishar, MD, Northwestern University,Tiffany Traina, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center A panel of breast oncologists define chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in terms of how they assess risk and attempt to prevent treatment-related toxicities in patients with cancer.


