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Amal Melhem-Bertrandt, M.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Associate Medical Director, Breast Cancer Survivorship, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

2000 The American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, MD, Medicine
1996 The American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, BS, Biology

Postgraduate Training

6/2006-2/2009 Fellowship in Hematology Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
6/2005-6/2006 Chief Medical Resident, The University of Texas -- Houston HSC, Houston, TX
6/2002-6/2005 Internal Medicine Resident, The University of Texas -- Houston HSC, Houston, TX
7/2000-6/2002 Postdoctoral Fellowship, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Honors and Awards

2008 Abbot Gonzalez Fellowship grant recipient
2008 Best Poster Cancer Education Consortium workshop in molecular and translational biology
2008 MORE fellowship scholarship program award
2008 Oral Presentation AACR

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Bayraktar S, Gonzalez-Angulo AM, Lei X, Buzdar AU, Valero V, Melhem-Bertrandt A, Kuerer HM, Hortobagyi GN, Sahin AA, Meric-Bernstam F. Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Therapy with Trastuzumab Concurrent with Anthracycline- and Non-anthracycline-based Regimens for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancer 118(9):2385-93, 5/2012. e-Pub 9/2011. PMCID: PMC3274632.
2. Melhem-Bertrandt A, Bojadzieva J, Ready KJ, Obeid E, Liu DD, Gutierrez-Barrera AM, Litton JK, Olopade OI, Hortobagyi GN, Strong LC, Arun BK. Early onset HER2-positive breast cancer is associated with germline TP53 mutations. Cancer 118(4):908-13, 2/2012. e-Pub 7/2011. PMID: 21761402.
3. Melhem-Bertrandt A, Sood AK. New directions in reducing stress effects on cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 5(2):147-9, 2/2012. PMID: 22307563.
4. Melhem-Bertrandt A, Chavez-Macgregor M, Lei X, Brown EN, Lee RT, Meric-Bernstam F, Sood AK, Conzen SD, Hortobagyi GN, Gonzalez-Angulo AM. Beta-Blocker Use Is Associated With Improved Relapse-Free Survival in Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Clin Oncol 29(19):2645-52, 7/2011. e-Pub 5/2011. PMCID: PMC3139371.
5. Melhem-Bertrandt A, Conzen SD. The relationship between psychosocial stressors and breast cancer biology. Curr Breast Cancer Rep 2:130-137, 8/2010. e-Pub 8/2010.
6. Belova L, Delgado B, Kocherginsky M, Melhem A, Olopade OI, Conzen SD. Glucocorticoid receptor expression in breast cancer associates with older patient age. Breast Cancer Res Treat 116(3):441-7, 8/2009. e-Pub 7/2008. PMID: 18668364.
7. Melhem A, Yamada SD, Fleming GF, Delgado B, Brickley DR, Wu W, Kocherginsky M, Conzen SD. Administration of glucocorticoids to ovarian cancer patients is associated with expression of the anti-apoptotic genes SGK1 and MKP1/DUSP1 in ovarian tissues. Clin Cancer Res 15(9):3196-204, 5/2009. e-Pub 4/2009. PMID: 19383827.
8. Sabloff B, Munden RF, Melhem AI, El-Naggar AK, Putnam JB. Radiologic-pathologic conferences of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center: Extraskeletal osteosarcoma of the pleura. Am J Roentgenol 180(4):972, 4/2003. PMID: 12646438.

Invited Articles
1. Melhem A, Conzen R. Serum and Glucocorticoid - Regulated Protein Kinases in Disease. Review. Targeted protein Database. Current BioData. In Press.
Other Articles
1. Melhem-Bertrandt A. Commentary. Breast Diseases: A Year Book Quarterly. In Press.
2. Cohen E, Melhem A. ASCO 2008 Highlights in Head and Neck Cancers. Medscape Hematology-Oncology, 7/2008.

Abstracts
1. Chavez-MacGregor M, Lei X, Litton JK, Melhem A, Mittendorf EA, Meric-Bernstam F, Sahin AA, Valero V, Hortobagyi GN, Gonzalez-Angulo AM. Predictors of recurrence among breast cancer patients who achieved a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy. 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting (#78031). In Press.
2. Anders CK, Nada R, Liu C, Blackwell KL, Van Poznak CH, Abramson VG, Storniolo AM, Lin NU, Stearns V, Melhem A, Puhalla S, Carpenter JT, Melisko ME, Deal AM, Hudis C, Winer EP, Perou CM, Bradley CR, Wolff AC, Carey LA. TBCRC 018:  Phase II study of iniparib plus chemotherapy to treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) brain metastases (BM). 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting (#74495). In Press.
3. Melhem-Bertrandt A, Ready KJ, Gutierrez-Barrera AM, Litton J, Strong LC, Olopade OI, Hortobagyi GN, Arun BK. Increased rate of HER2-positive breast cancers among women with germline TP53 mutations. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, 12/2010.
4. Pusztai L, Moulder S, Litton J, Valero V, Ueno N, Melhem-Bertrandt A, Morrow PK, Dotter K, Mattair DN, Strauss L, Qi Y, Hortobagyi GN, Symmans WF. Prospective testing of three different gene signatures patient selection for dasatinib therapy in metastatic breast cancer. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, 12/2010.
5. Melhem A, Yamada SD, Fleming G, Delgado B, Kocherginsky M, Conzen SD. Glucocorticoid administration upregulates the anti-apoptotic gene SGK in ovarian cancer patients. Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research, 4/2008.
6. Sabloff BS, Munden RF, Slaughter KD, Melhem A. Comparison of the visualization of normal anatomic structures using digital radiography and analog. RSNA 2001 Scientific Paper, 11/2001.

Book Chapters
1. Melhem-Bertrandt A, Hortobagyi G. Primary invasive breast cancer. In: BMJ Point-of-Care 2010, 2012.
2. Melhem-Bertrandt A, Conzen S. Connecting environmental stress to cancer cell biology through the neuroendocrine response. In: Encyclopedia of Environmental Health. 1. Ed(s) Hriagu, JO. Elsevier, 882-827, 2011.
3. Donald A. Briscoe. In: Lange Q&A: USMLE STEP 3 (4th Edition). McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: A Phase II Study of the Parp-inhibitor, Iniparib (BSI-201) in Combination with Chemotherapy to Treat Triple Negative Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis
Funding Source: The University of No. Carolina at Chapel Hill - TBCRC
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 6/16/2011 - 6/30/2014
 
Title: Disparities in breast cancer among African American women - the relationship between stress, the glucocorticoid pathway and breast cancer
Funding Source: Center for Interdisciplinary Health Disparities The University of Chicago (CIHDA)
Role: Fellow
Principal Investigator: Martha McClintock, Ph.D.
Duration: 2009
 
Title: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award
Funding Source: Dept. of Health and Human Services Public Health Service
Role: Investigator
Duration: 6/30/2007 - 6/29/2009
 
Title: A Pilot Study of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Chronic, Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Cancer Survivors
Funding Source: UTMDACC Sister Institution Network Fund (SINF)
Role: Collaborator

Last updated: 3/11/2013