Together, We Can Beat Breast Cancer

One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes. Our team at the Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Cancer Center and the Samuel Oschin Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai are committed to changing those odds. Through clinical trials and cutting-edge research, we are getting closer every day to beating breast cancer. Meet a member of our team who has dedicated her career to pushing her field as close to a cure as possible.

The Cure Seeker: Heather L. McArthur, MD

Heather McArthur, Medical Director of Breast Oncology at the Samuel Oschin Cancer Institute, is one of our lead investigators in Cedar-Sinai’s quest for a cure for breast cancer. “The potential for impact in breast oncology is tremendous,” said McArthur, “Seeing so many young women being diagnosed stirs me to want to make their outlook better.”

McArthur serves as a mentor to many medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty, and has conducted several studies that have had a significant impact on breast cancer research. Recently, she led research efforts in the development of a program focusing on how immunotherapy can exploit tumor-specific biological markers by priming immune cells to recognize them. “Breast cancer biology is unique to each person. A woman’s tumor has its own distinctive features, including gene mutation profiles,” she said. McArthur’s approach to this is to train the immune system to “remember” women’s tumor-specific information – that way, if a patient’s cancer returns, the body will be able to eradicate it. “We strongly believe that, with these innovative strategies, we can bring long-term immunity to patients with breast cancer,” McArthur said.

As a member of the breast cancer research team, you’ll be surrounded by skilled healthcare professionals who all share a common goal: to defeat breast cancer. For Dr. McArthur, it’s all about making a positive impact on our patients while providing the best possible care.

“It’s a tremendous honor and a privilege to be brought into someone’s life when they are in that incredibly vulnerable moment of facing a new cancer diagnosis.”