Faculty

Tina J. Hieken, M.D.

Clinical Studies

MElanoma Research Lymph node prediction Implementation National_001 (MERLIN_001) (MERLIN_001) Rochester, Minn.
This study aims to create a registry for primary melanoma gene-signature to predict sentinel node (SN) status and determine its prognostic value for more accurate staging of SN-negative melanoma patients.

Prospective Study Of Neoadjuvant-treated Stage III Melanoma Rochester, Minn.
The purpose of this study is to identify biomarker(s) and/or algorithms incorporating baseline patient clinical, tumor, blood and microbiome data to guide selection of the optimal neoadjuvant regimen for patients with clinical stage III melanoma. Specifically, identify a robust pre-treatment marker that predicts a high rate of major pathologic response to the least toxic neoadjuvant immunotherapy regimen, e.g. anti-PD-1 monotherapy or similar low toxicity regimen.

Phase II Study of Neoadjuvant Letrozole for Postmenopausal Women with Estrogen Receptor Positive Ductal Carcinoma In SITU (DCIS) Rochester, Minn.
RATIONALE: Estrogen can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormone therapy using letrozole may fight breast cancer by blocking the use of estrogen by the tumor cells or by lowering the amount of estrogen the body makes.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well letrozole works in treating women with ductal carcinoma in situ.
TBCRC037: A Trial of Endocrine Response in Women with Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer Rochester, Minn.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of fulvestrant to anastrozole or tamoxifen in treating invasive lobular breast cancer, by measuring the level of the biomarker Ki67 found in tumor tissue before and then after treatment.
The Microbiome Of Benign And Malignant Human Breast Tissue Rochester, Minn.
The purpose of this study is to see if having different kinds of bacteria genes in breast tissue may be connected to the risk of getting breast cancer.