Kelly K. Hunt, MD, FACS

2009-2010 BCRF Project:
Co-Investigators: Matthew J. Ellis, MD, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; and John A. Olson, Jr., MD, PhD, Duke University, Durham, NC

On behalf of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group
In 2004 the Dr. Ellis engaged the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group and the Cancer Treatment Evaluation Program at the National Cancer Institute to conduct a cooperative group neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitor trial. The Z1031 trial, activated in 2006, is a randomized open label comparison between the three FDA approved aromatase inhibitors (letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane) before surgery in postmenopausal women with clinical stage 2 and 3 ER rich breast cancer, with clinical response as the primary endpoint. Although the monthly accrual rate is on target and the trial is estimated to close in late summer 2009, an amendment (A6) to include an additional patient cohort (Z1031-Cohort B) has been approved by CTEP and is pending approval. The approach in Cohort B focuses on the validation of a simple biopsy-based test to identify patients with estrogen receptor positive but endocrine therapy resistant tumors who require an alternative and more effective treatment approach. The trial continues to provide the availability of pre and post endocrine treatment tissue samples that will allow valuable new insights into the biological basis for the success and failure of endocrine therapy.

Mid-Year Progress Report:
In 2004 Dr. Ellis engaged the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group and the Cancer Treatment Evaluation Program at the National Cancer Institute to conduct a cooperative group neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitor trial. The Z1031 trial, activated in 2006, is a randomized open label comparison between the three FDA approved aromatase inhibitors, with clinical response as the primary endpoint. Although the monthly accrual rate is on target and the trial was estimated to close in late summer 2009, an amendment (A6) to include an additional patient cohort (Z1031-Cohort B) has now been activated. The approach in Cohort B focuses on the validation of a simple biopsy-based test to identify patients with estrogen receptor positive, but endocrine therapy resistant tumors who require an alternative and more effective treatment approach. Accrual is proceeding on target with an estimated completion in early 2011.

Bio:
Dr. Hunt received her medical degree with highest honors from The University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences, Memphis, Tennessee, in 1986. From 1986 to 1993, she fulfilled her postgraduate training at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, where her positions included: resident, Department of Surgery; surgical oncology research fellow, National Institutes of Health Surgical Oncology Training Grant recipient; American Cancer Society Clinical Fellow in the Division of Surgical Oncology; assistant resident in general surgery, Department of Surgery; and chief resident in general surgery. She also served as a registrar in General and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, England. From 1994 to 1996, she was a surgical oncology fellow at The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Hunt joined the M. D. Anderson faculty in 1994 as junior faculty associate in the Department of Surgical Oncology. In 1996, she was promoted to Assistant Professor of Surgery, and in 2000, was named Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and Chief, Surgical Breast Section in the Department of Surgical Oncology. In 2004, Dr. Hunt was named as Professor of Surgery. Within the Department of Surgical Oncology, Dr. Hunt also serves as the Director of the Surgical Breast Research Program. She is the Director of the weekly Breast Education Conferences. In addition to her responsibilities in the Department of Surgical Oncology, Dr. Hunt is also the Associate Medical Director of the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center and the Director of the Breast Lymphatic Mapping Working Group at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Hunt has received numerous awards, including the American Cancer Society Clinical Fellow of the Year for two consecutive years. She holds membership in a number of institutional committees, including the Steering Committee of the Breast Cancer Research Group and the Executive Committee of the Medical Staff. Dr. Hunt has published over 240 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Annals of Surgical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Research, The Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Science. In addition she has published 20 invited articles, two editorials, over 200 abstracts in the past 5 years, and 24 book chapters. She has edited three books on breast cancer and one book on gene therapy. She has been an invited speaker at over 111 national and international presentations, and more than 70 other guest lectures, grand rounds, visiting professorships, and professional conferences.

Since her arrival at MD Anderson, Dr. Hunt has served as principal investigator, collaborator and co-investigator on numerous grants, contracts and funded protocols. She is the Chair of the Breast Organ Site Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group; a member of the Correlative Science Committee of the Breast Cancer Intergroup of North America; and a member of the Scientific Program Committee of the Society of Surgical Oncology. Her primary research interests are gene therapy and tumor suppressor genes, and her clinical interests include breast conservation, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and skin-sparing mastectomy.