Rebecca Aft
Rebecca Aft is an American surgical oncologist and breast cancer researcher. Holds the inaugural title of Moley Professor of Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery[1] at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Aft studies the mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis and explores potential targets for treatment. Her work has identified the anti-metastatic effects of bisphosphonates in patients with breast cancer. Early life and educationAft was born in St. Louis, Missouri.[2] She left St. Louis to pursue a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[2] During her graduate education, she conducted oncology research[3] at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research.[4] Following the completion of her PhD in 1983, Aft completed post-doctoral studies at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.[2] She returned to her hometown of St. Louis in 1987 for a professorship position at Saint Louis University.[2] Shortly after returning to St. Louis, Aft began medical school at Washington University in St. Louis as she wanted experience caring for and treating patients with cancer.[2] She graduated medical school in 1992 and pursued a general surgery residency at Washington University in St. Louis.[3] From 1995 to 1996, Aft held a position of senior registrar at the University of Sydney in Australia, after which she returned to Washington University School of Medicine to complete her chief year as a surgical resident.[3] Career and researchIn 1997, Aft accepted a faculty position as a breast surgeon and cancer researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.[5] Aft is a full Professor of Surgery in the Division of General Surgery and Section of Surgical Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.[6] Aft also operates at the John Cochran Veterans Administration Hospital in St. Louis.[7] She also holds a position on a committee of faculty involved in medical student admissions at Washington University School of Medicine.[7] Bisphosphonates and breast cancer metastasis In addition to her roles as a surgeon who operates on patients with breast cancer, Aft leads a laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine with a focus on identifying mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis.[8][2] Her group has focused on the potential of targeting bone turnover in breast cancer patients to prevent metastasis.[9] In a randomized controlled trial published in the Lancet in 2010[10] that women who take bisphosphonates during chemotherapy treatment have less disseminated tumor cells (DCTs) in their bone marrow. In women with triple negative breast cancer, patients who took bisphosphopnates after treatment were less likely to have metastasis (cite, cite). Robotic-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomies Aft is also part of a multi-institutional research effort to explore the possibility of minimally invasive and nipple sparing breast surgery on patients with breast cancer.[11] Along with 8 other institutions, Aft leads the Washington University School of Medicine effort to conduct a randomized controlled trial of mastectomies with and without a robot.[9] Honors and awards
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