Titles and Affiliations
Assistant Professor of Oncology
Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation
Research Area
Developing a new tool to improve treatment decision-making in metastatic breast cancer.
Impact
Metastatic breast cancer remains incurable and causes hundreds of thousands of deaths each year worldwide. Current treatment decisions often rely on one biopsy taken from the original tumor before it has spread, but evidence suggests this may miss evidence that a more tailored therapy is needed. By comparing information from biopsies of living patients and samples from metastatic sites from those who have passed, Dr. Miglietta’s Conquer Cancer research supported by BCRF could reveal whether single biopsies provide sufficient information, highlighting gaps that may affect patient care.
What’s Next
Dr. Miglietta will compare specific biomarkers already used in clinical practice in tumor samples from living patients with those recovered post-mortem. Using artificial intelligence, she and her team will analyze patterns found between clinical and post-mortem data to establish if taking a sample from just one tumor site is enough to identify the key biomarkers doctors use to choose treatments. The goal is to create a tool that helps oncologists make better treatment decisions for living patients by expanding access to personalized therapies without multiple invasive biopsies.
Biography
Federica Miglietta, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Oncology at the Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua. She is also an active clinical investigator and staff member in the Oncology Unit 2 at the Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOV) IRCCS, Padova (Italy), led by her mentor, Prof. Valentina Guarneri. Her research focuses on the biological heterogeneity of breast cancer, with a strong commitment to integrating clinical practice and translational research. She has a particular interest in understanding tumor evolution in the advanced setting and in exploring how artificial intelligence can be leveraged to support therapeutic decision-making. She has authored over 70 peer reviewed publications and has received several awards, recognitions, and research grants in support of her scientific activity. She is also deeply committed to medical education, mentoring students and residents with the belief that education and curiosity are key to transforming cancer care. Her CCF/BCRF award supports a project that lies at the intersection of science and human experience, an idea shaped through close dialogue with patient advocates, whose voices have profoundly influenced her research vision. Dr. Miglietta believes that every research step, no matter how small, should be meaningful for the lives of those behind the data.
