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Michelle A. Fanale, M.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Bio Statement

I have clinical and research interests in Hodgkin, T cell, Burkitt  lymphomas, & other c-MYC positive lymphomas, and HIV-associated lymphomas. Within these lymphoma subtypes I have a desire to develop new therapies which can first be evaluated in relapsed/refractory disease and then integrated into earlier lines of therapy both in combination with each other and with chemotherapy. I also wish to define best management strategies for the rarer disease presentations including for advanced stage and relapsed nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, T cell lymphoma, and relapsed Burkitt and double-hit lymphomas. Through clinical trials I want to integrate translational research studies that will add to our understanding of mechanisms of lymphoma cell growth regulation and provide insights that will lead to improved methods of prognostication and combinations of therapies that target crucial pathways needed for lymphoma cell survival and proliferation.

Office Address

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard
UNIT 429
Unit Number: 429
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-792-2860
Fax: 713-794-5656

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1999 University of Medicine and Denstistry, Newark, NJ, MD, MD
1994 Rutgers College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, BA, Molecular Biology/Biochemistry and Psychology

Postgraduate Training

7/2002-6/2005 Medical Oncology and Hematology Fellowship, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Robert A. Wolff, M.D.
6/1999-6/2002 Internal Medicine Residency, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Henry J. Schultz, M.D.

Board Certifications

2006 Hematology
2005 Medical Oncology
2002 Internal Medicine

Experience/Service

Institutional Committee Activities

Member, Clinical Research Committee, 2006-present

Professional Memberships

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Member, 2003-present
American Society of Hematology (ASH)
Member, 2007-present

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Fanale, M. & Younes, A. A Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cancer Treat Res(142):367-381, 01/2008, 1/2008.
2. Fanale M, Younes A. Monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of non-hodgkin lymphoma. Drugs 67(3):333-350, 2007.
3. Pataer A, Fanale M, Roth JA, Swisher SG, Hunt KK,. Induction of apoptosis in human lung cancer cells following treatment adenoviral vector containing wild-type p53. Cancer Gene Therapy 13:806-814, 2006.
4. Fanale M, Uyei A, Adam K, Thompson R, Hortobagyi G, Theriault R. Treatment of metastatic breast cancer during pregnancy with vinorelbine and trastuzumab. Clin Breast Cancer 6(4):354-356, 2005.
5. McKenzie T, Liu Y, Fanale M, Swisher SG, Chada S, Hunt K. Combination therapy of Ad-mda7 and trastuzumab increases cell death in Her-2/neu overexpressing breast cancer cells. Surgery 136:433-437, 2004.
6. Petersen W, Trapp MA, Fanale M, Kaur J. Evaluating the WEB (Women Enjoying the Benefit) Training Program for cancer screening in Native American Women. Holistic Nursing Practice 17:262-275, 2003.
7. Fanale M, Zeldenrust S, Moynihan T. Some unusual complications of malignancies: case 2. Marantic endocarditis in advanced cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 19:4111-4114, 2002.
8. Ricketts M, Amersterdam J, Park D, Fanale M, Baddoo A, Manowitz P. A novel arylsulfatase a variant and genotype in two patients with major depression. Journal of Affective Disorders 10:137-147, 1996.

Editorials
1. Fanale, M. Hortobagyi, G. Bisphosphonates in the prevention and treatment of bone metastases. Oncology(17):1278-1280, 2003.

Abstracts
1. Fanale M, Stiff P, Noonan K, McCoy J, Rustein M, and Moskowitz C. Safety and efficacy of romiplostim for treatment of severe chemotherapy induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) in patients with lymphoma receiving multi-cycle chemotherapy: results from an open-label dose and schedule-finding study. European Journal of Cancer Supplements 7(2):562, 9/2009.
2. Bartlett, N.L., Forero-Torres, A., Rosenblatt, J., Fanale, M., Horning, S., Thompson, S., Kennedy, D., Sievers, E. Complete remissions with weekly dosing of SGN-35, a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CD30, in a phase I dose-escalation study in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) or anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). J Clin Oncol 2009 Annual ASCO Proceedings (Post-Meeting Edition) 27(15S):Suppl 1 (#8500), 5/2009.
3. Fowler, N.H., McLaughlin, P., Kwak, L., Hagemeister, F., Fanale, M., Fayad, L., Pro, B., Samaniego, F. Lenalidomide and Rituximab for untreated indolent B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. J Clin Oncol 2009 Annual ASCO Meeting Proceedings (Post Meeting Edition) 27(15S):Suppl 1 (#8548), 5/2009.
4. Samaniego, F., Fanale, M., Pro, B., Hagemeister, F.B., McLaughlin, P., Romaguera, J., Neelapu, S., Rodriguez, M.A., Fayad, L., Younes, A., Kwak, L. Pentostatin, Cyclophosphamide, and Rituximab (PCR) Achieve High Response Rates in Ind Cell Lymphoma without Prolonged Myelosupression. American Society of Hematology Annual 2008 Meeting(835), 12/2008.
5. McLaughlin, P., Neelapu, S., Fanale, M., Rodriguez, D., Ayala, A., Pro, B., Hagemeister, F. B., Younes, A., Neel, S., Fowler, N., Hess, M., Kwak, L. R-FND Followed by Radioimmunotherapy for Hih-Risk Follicular Lymphoma. American Society of Hematology Annual 2008 Meeting(3056). e-Pub 12/2008.
6. Fanale M., Fayad, L.E., Pro, B., Samaniego, F., Zachariah, G., Nunez,C.A., Ji, Y., Younes, A. A phase I evaluation of bortezomib in combination with ICE (BICE) as treatment for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. 10th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma(531), 6/2008.
7. Horning, S., Fanale M., deVos, S., Borchmann, P., Illidge, T., Engert, A., Arai, S., Younes, A. Defining a population of Hodgkin lymphoma patients for novel therapeutics: An international effort. 10th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma(118), 6/2008.
8. Fanale, M., Burris, H., Yee, L., Luca, J., Dimick, K., Goldwasser, M., Novotny, W., Bray, G. Final results of a Phase Ib study of recombinant human Apo2L/TRAIL with rituximab in patients with relapsed low-grade NHL. 10th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma(258), 6/2008.
9. Samaniego, F., Pro, B., Nunez, R., McLaughlin, P., Fanale, M., Kwak, L., Romaguera, J. High Response Rates for Stage I Indolent B-Cell Lymphoma with Yttrium-90 Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin). 10th International Conference Malignant Lymphoma(422), 6/2008.
10. Samaniego, F., Fanale, M., Pro, B., Hagemeister, F., McLaughlin, P., Romaguera, J., Neelapu, S., Younes, A., Kwak, L. Pentostatin Combined with Cyclophosphamide, and Rituximab (PCR) Achieve High Response Rates in Indolent B-Cell Lymphoma. 10th International Conference of Malignant Lymphoma(334), 6/2008.
11. Fanale, M.A., Fayad, L., Pro, B., Samaniego, F., Zachariah, G., Nunez, C.A., Ji, Y., Younes. A phase I study of bortezomib in combination with ICE (BICE) in patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. American Society of Hematology Annual 2008 Meeting(3048), 2008.
12. Rodriguez, M.A., Fanale, M., Hagemeister, F.B., McLaughlin, P., Pro, B., Romaguera, J., Kwak, L., Fayad, L.E., Durand, J. Activity and toxicity of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (DRCOP) for patients >60 years old with untreated diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) : A phase II study. Journal of Clinical Onocology 26(15S/20505), 2008.
13. Huen, A., DeAngelo, D., Fanale, M., Vadhan-Raj, S. Pharmacokinetic analysis of two dose levels of rasburicase in adult patients with hematologic malignancies at high or potential risk for tumor lysis syndrome. Journal of Clinical Oncology 26(15S/14545), 2008.
14. Samaniego F., Fanale M., Pro B. Hagemeister F., McLaughlin P., Romaguera J., Neelapu F., Rodriguez A., Fayad L., Younes A., Beasley G., Kwak L. A Phase II trial of pentostatin combined with cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (PCR) for indolent B-cell lymphoma, American Society of Hematology. Annual 2007 Meeting, 11/2007.
15. Younes A., Pro, B., Fanale M., McLaughlin P., Neelapu S., Fayad L., Wedgwood A., Buglio D., Patterson T., Dubay M., Zuomei L., Martell R., Ward M., Bociek R. Isotype-selective HDAC inhibitor MGCD0103 decreases. Blood 110(2566), 11/2007.
16. Rodriguez M.A., Fanale M., Hagemeister F., McLauglin P., Pro B., Romaguera J., Kwak L., Fayad L., Huang X., Durand J.B. Phase II study of RCHOP with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (DRCOP) for patients > 60 years old with untreated diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Blood 110(4468), 11/2007.
17. Fanale M., Fayad L., Pro B., Samaniego F., Zachariah G., Ji Y., Younes A. Safety and efficacy of bortezomib plus ICE (BICE) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin Lymphoma. Blood 110(4506), 11/2007.
18. Yee L., Fanale M., Dimick K., Calvert S., Robins C., Ing J., Ling J., Novotny W., Ashkenazi A., Burris III H. A Phase IB safety and pharmacokinectic (PK) study of recombinant human Apo2L/TRAIL in combination with rituximab in patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma. American Society of Clinical Oncology 25(2078), 2007.
19. Younes A, Fanale M., Pro B., McLaughlin P., Neelapu S., Fayad L.,. A phase II study of a novel oral isotype-selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. American Society of Clinical Oncology 25(8000), 2007.
20. Gilliam M., Fanale M., Patterson C. Effectiveness of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists in prevention of ovarian failure in Hodgkin lymphoma: Update on current practice and review of literature. 7th International Symposium on Hodgkin Lymphoma 95(55):056, 2007.
21. Gilliam M., Wedgwood A., Fanale M. Effectiveness of lamivudine in the prevention of hepatitis B reactivation in patients receiving rituximab. Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference, 2007.
22. Fanale M., Fayad, L.E., Romaguera J.E., McLaughlin P., Hagemeister. Experience with R-CHOP in patients with lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (LPHL). 7th International Symposium on Hodgkin Lymphoma 92(55):077, 2007.
23. Samaniego F, Fayad L. E. Pro M., McLauglin P., Rodriguez M.A., Hagemeister F.B., Fanale M., Neelapu S., Younes A., Kwak L.W. Pentostatin combined with cyclophosphamide, and rituximab induces high respone rates in patients with untreated indolent B-cell lymphoma. Blood 108(4722), 2006.
24. Younes A., Fayad L., Goy A., McLaughlin P, Pro B., Romaguera J, Hagemeister F., Rodriguez M.A., Samaniego F., Kwak L., Neelapu S., Medeiros L.J., Wedgwood A., Fanale M. Results of Rituximab Plus ABVD in 65 Newly Diagnosed Patients with Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma: Improvement of Event Free Survival (EFS) in All International Prognostic Score (IPS) Groups. Blood 108(2742), 2006.
25. Fanale M., Vorburger S., Liu Y., McKenzie T., Swisher S., Hunt K. AdhTERT-E2F-1 can induce selective apoptosis of breast cancer cells through multiple mechanisms. American Association of Cancer Research 46(2834), 2005.
26. Mckenzie T.S., Lui Y., Keyomarsi K., Holzen U.V., Suh, Y., Fanale M., Swisher S., Chada S., and Hunt K. Associated gene-7 (Ad-mda7) regulated the Wnt signaling pathway in breast cancer cells. American Association of Cancer Research:871, 2005.
27. Fanale M., Liu Y., McKenzie T., Fokt I., Priebe W., Hunt K. Investigation of whether expression of bcl-2 influences the apoptotic response of doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cells to a novel anthracycline. American Society of Clinical Oncology 24(2082), 2005.
28. Fanale M., Liu Y., McKenzie T., Fokt I., Priebe W., Hunt K. A novel anthracycline highly apoptotic in breast cancer cells. American. American Association of Cancer Research 45(3843), 2004.
29. McKenzie T., Liu Y., Fanale M., Swisher S., Chada S., Hunt K. Combination therapy of Ad-mda7 and trastuzumab inhibits tumor growth in nude mice and increase apoptosis in Her-2/neu overwpressing breast cancer cells. American Association of Cancer 45(5135), 2004.
30. Fanale M., Liu Y., McKenzie T., Fokt I., Priebe W., and Hunt K. Experimental and molecular therapeutics 35: preclinical models/pharmacology/mechanisms. American Association of Cancer Research:887, 2004.
31. Liu Y., McKenzie T., Fanale M., Swisher S., Chada S., Hunt K. Increased apoptosis in Her-2/neu overexpressing breast cancer cells by combination of Ad-mda7 and Herceptin. American Association of Cancer Research 45(4402), 2004.
32. Fanale M., Liu Y., McKenzie T., Vorburger S., Swisher S., Theriault R., Hunt K. Utility of hTERT-driven overexpression of E2F-1 to induce selective apoptosis of human breast cancer cells. American Society of Clinical Oncology 23(3158), 2004.

Book Chapters
1. Fanale M, Buzdar A. Treatment of early-stage, locally advanced, and inflammatory breast cancer. In: MDACC: Medical Oncology, A Comprehensive Review, Third. Ed(s) McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Last updated: 4/4/2011