Renata Ferrarotto, MD
Department of Thoracic-Head & Neck Med Onc, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Dr. Ferrarotto
Dr. Ferrarotto is a Professor and Director of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical Research of Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical. In this role, she dedicates time to patient care as well as to clinical and translational research. Her work focuses on clinical development of new personalized cancer therapies for patients with head and neck malignancies, with a particular interest in salivary gland cancers and other rarer tumor subtypes. She has conducted multiple investigator-initiated trials. Dr. Ferrarotto was a recipient of the MD Anderson Jeffrey Lee Cousins Fellowship in Lung Cancer in 2013, the ASCO Career Development Award in 2016, the Khalifa grant in 2016, a Stiefel grant in 2018, an Institutional Research Grant in 2020, three pilot grants from the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation in 2000, 2021, and 2022, a DOD Impact Award in 2021, and an R03 grant in 2022.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Dr. Ferrarotto’s work focuses on examining gene and protein profiles of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a common salivary gland cancer, and other types of head and neck tumors in order to identify alterations that can be targeted with suitable therapy regimens (targeted therapy or immunotherapy). To accomplish this, alterations of genes and proteins found in tumor samples are correlated with the patient’s individual tumor characteristics and clinical outcomes (disease progression and survival), then the effects of different drugs targeting the gene or protein of interest are examined in pre-clinical models, and finally the results obtained in the lab are used to develop and design clinical trials with new therapeutic regimens for patients. Dr. Ferrarotto has identified NOTCH1 as a potential therapeutic target in ACC and led the first biomarker-specific study in ACC investigating a NOTCH inhibitor in NOTCH-activated metastatic ACC. Her group has further completed the first comprehensive proteogenomic analysis of a large cohort of ACC with annotated clinicopathologic data, which could help stratify patients and identify potential biomarkers for co-targeting with NOTCH inhibitors. Currently, Dr. Ferrarotto is leading projects to investigate the impact of tumor immune microenvironment on treatment response in salivary gland/head and neck tumors, and to develop immunotherapy-based combination therapies to overcome drug resistance.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Ferrarotto is a medical oncologist dedicated to improving the quality and length of life of patients suffering from head and neck malignancies. Dr. Ferrarotto’s work centers in developing clinical trial with novel drug combinations and on identifying predictive biomarkers that can be used to select the patients that will benefit the most from targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Beyond the most common head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Dr Ferrarotto has a special interest in rare cancers of the head and neck, particularly salivary gland cancers.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2006 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, BRA, MD, Medicine |
Postgraduate Training
| 2012-2014 | Clinical Fellowship, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Houston, TX |
| 2009-2012 | Clinical Fellowship, Medical Oncology, Hospital Sirio Libanes, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sao Paulo |
| 2007-2009 | Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo |
Board Certifications
| 2019 | American Board of Internal Medicine Medical Oncology |
| 2018 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2023
Assistant Professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2014 - 2018
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Sousa LG, Wang K, Torman D, Binks BJ, Rubin ML, Andersen CR, Lewis WE, Rivera MJ, Kaya D, El-Naggar AK, Hanna EY, Esmaeli B, Frank SJ, Bell D, Glisson BS, Rodon J, Meric-Bernstam F, Lee JJ, Ferrarotto R. Treatment patterns and outcomes of palliative systemic therapy in patients with salivary duct carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified. Cancer 128(3):509-518, 2022. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34661906.
- Sousa LG, Lazar Neto F, Torman DK, Diaz EM, Rosenthal DI, Glisson BS, Bell D, Ferrarotto R. Therapeutic approaches and outcomes in patients with larynx or hypopharynx high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma: A single-center retrospective analysis. Head Neck 43(12):3788-3795, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34524729.
- Ferrarotto R, Anderson I, Medgyasszay B, García-Campelo MR, Edenfield W, Feinstein TM, Johnson JM, Kalmadi S, Lammers PE, Sanchez-Hernandez A, Pritchett Y, Morris SR, Malik RK, Csoszi T. Trilaciclib prior to chemotherapy reduces the usage of supportive care interventions for chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in patients with small cell lung cancer: Pooled analysis of three randomized phase 2 trials. Cancer Med 10(17):5748-5756, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34405547.
- Ferrarotto R, Sousa LG, Qing Y, Kaya D, Stephen B, Jain D, Bell D, Pant S, Tsimberidou AM, Janku F, Blumenschein G, Glisson BS, Ahnert JR, Piha-Paul SA, Lee JJ, Wong MK, Lu C, Meric-Bernstam F, Naing A. Pembrolizumab in Patients with Refractory Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Phase II Trial. Adv Ther 38(8):4581-4591, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34241781.
- Ferrarotto R, Amit M, Nagarajan P, Rubin ML, Yuan Y, Bell D, El-Naggar AK, Johnson JM, Morrison WH, Rosenthal DI, Glisson BS, Johnson FM, Lu C, Mott FE, Esmaeli B, Diaz EM, Gidley PW, Goepfert RP, Lewis CM, Weber RS, Wargo JA, Basu S, Duan F, Yadav SS, Sharma P, Allison JP, Myers JN, Gross ND. Pilot Phase II Trial of Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Locoregionally Advanced, Resectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. Clin Cancer Res 27(16):4557-4565, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34187851.
- Karpinets TV, Mitani Y, Liu B, Zhang J, Pytynia KB, Sellen LD, Karagiannis DT, Ferrarotto R, Futreal AP, El-Naggar AK. Whole-genome Sequencing of Common Salivary Gland Carcinomas: Subtype Restricted and Shared Genetic Alterations. Clin Cancer Res 27(14):3960-3969, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34011559.
- McGrail DJ, Pilié PG, Rashid NU, Voorwerk L, Slagter M, Kok M, Jonasch E, Khasraw M, Heimberger AB, Lim B, Ueno NT, Litton JK, Ferrarotto R, Chang JT, Moulder SL, Lin SY. High tumor mutation burden fails to predict immune checkpoint blockade response across all cancer types. Ann Oncol 32(5):661-672, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33736924.
- Ferrarotto R, Mitani Y, McGrail DJ, Li K, Karpinets TV, Bell D, Frank SJ, Song X, Kupferman ME, Liu B, Lee JJ, Glisson BS, Zhang J, Aster JC, Lin SY, Futreal PA, Heymach JV, El-Naggar AK. Proteogenomic Analysis of Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinomas Defines Molecular Subtypes and Identifies Therapeutic Targets. Clin Cancer Res 27(3):852-864, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33172898.
- Ferrarotto R, Bell D, Rubin ML, Hutcheson KA, Johnson JM, Goepfert RP, Phan J, Elamin YY, Torman DK, Warneke CL, Hessel AC, Garden AS, Myers JN, Johnson FM, Lee JJ, Sikora AG, Gillison ML, Glisson BS, Gross ND. Impact of neoadjuvant durvalumab with or without tremelimumab on CD8+ tumor lymphocyte density, safety, and efficacy in patients with oropharynx cancer: CIAO trial. Clin Cancer Res 26(13):3211-3219, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32269052.
- Ferrarotto R, Eckhardt G, Patnaik A, LoRusso P, Faoro L, Heymach JV, Kapoun AM, Xu L, Munster P. A Phase 1 dose-escalation and dose-expansion study of brontictuzumab in subjects with selected solid tumors. Ann Oncol 29(7):1561-1568, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29726923.
- Ferrarotto R, William WN, Tseng JE, Marur S, Shin DM, Murphy B, Cohen EEW, Thomas CY, Willey R, Cosaert J, Harun N, Jack Lee J, Wistuba IW, Haddad RI, Glisson BS. Randomized phase II trial of cixutumumab alone or with cetuximab for refractory recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncol 82:83-90, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29909907.
- Ferrarotto R, Mitani Y, Diao L, Guijarro I, Wang J, Zweidler-McKay P, Bell D, William WN, Glisson BS, Wick MJ, Kapoun AM, Patnaik A, Eckhardt G, Munster P, Faoro L, Dupont J, Lee JJ, Futreal A, El-Naggar AK, Heymach JV. Activating NOTCH1 Mutations Define a Distinct Subgroup of Patients With Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Who Have Poor Prognosis, Propensity to Bone and Liver Metastasis, and Potential Responsiveness to Notch1 Inhibitors. J Clin Oncol 35(3):JCO2016675264, 2017. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27870570.
- Mauzo SH, Ferrarotto R, Bell D, Torres-Cabala CA, Tetzlaff MT, Prieto VG, Aung PP. Molecular characteristics and potential therapeutic targets in Merkel cell carcinoma. J Clin Pathol 69(5):382-90, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26818033.
- Ferrarotto R, Goonatilake R, Yoo SY, Tong P, Giri U, Peng S, Minna J, Girard L, Wang Y, Wang L, Li L, Diao L, Peng DH, Gibbons DL, Glisson BS, Heymach JV, Wang J, Byers LA, Johnson FM. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Predicts Polo-Like Kinase 1 Inhibitor-Mediated Apoptosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 22(7):1674-86, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26597303.
- Massarelli E, Ferrarotto R, Glisson BS. New Strategies in Human Papillomavirus-Related Oropharynx Cancer: Effecting Advances in Treatment for a Growing Epidemic. Clin Cancer Res 21(17):3821-8, 2015. PMID: 26330505.
- Bell D, Ferrarotto R, Fox MD, Roberts D, Hanna EY, Weber RS, El-Naggar AK. Analysis and significance of c-MET expression in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland. Cancer Biol Ther 16(6):834-8, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25923130.
- Mitani Y, Rao PH, Maity SN, Lee YC, Ferrarotto R, Post JC, Licitra L, Lippman SM, Kies MS, Weber RS, Caulin C, Lin SH, El-Naggar AK. Alterations associated with androgen receptor gene activation in salivary duct carcinoma of both sexes: potential therapeutic ramifications. Clin Cancer Res 20(24):6570-81, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25316813.
- Ferrarotto R, Gold KA. Afatinib in the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 23(1):135-43, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24266694.