Grant Title: Mechanisms for the Pro-Metastatic Effects of Hyperinsulinemia on Breast Cancer
Funding Agency: NCI

Obese women and those with Type 2 diabetes who develop breast cancer are more likely to have aggressive cancer, are less likely to respond to treatment and have a greater chance of dying. Through our studies we aim to determine the mechanisms through which high insulin levels and activation of the insulin receptor in tumors increase breast cancer aggression, and thus identify targets for new therapies that may be beneficial particularly in the increasing number of women with obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.

Grant Title: Insulin Resistance and Breast Cancer Prognosis in Black & White Women
Funding Agency: NCI

The purpose of this study is to determine whether differences in insulin resistance can explain in part the disparities in breast cancer survival between Black and White women. Insulin resistance is an important component of obesity, the metabolic syndrome and early stage type 2 diabetes, conditions associated with more aggressive breast cancer subtypes and increased mortality.