A. Marilyn Leitch, M.D., joined UT Southwestern Medical Center in 1986 after completing a fellowship in surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. At UT Southwestern, Dr. Leitch has spearheaded the establishment of the Center for Breast Care, one of the nation’s leading multidisciplinary groups dedicated to breast cancer evaluation and treatment.
Her work has included understanding the impact of anti-hormonal therapy or chemotherapy on breast cancer prior to surgery; addressing early detection of breast cancer by the development of guidelines and implementation of enhanced screening; and finding ways to make breast surgery less radical, particularly for patients with more than one tumor in the breast and those with involved lymph nodes. She also has a keen commitment to understanding and addressing health care disparities that affect cancer diagnosis and treatment.
To help patients, Dr. Leitch applies the latest advancements in:
Dr. Leitch was included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list for 2018, 2021, and 2022. She was also named a Texas Monthly Super Doctor in 2018.
As a national leader in breast cancer research, Dr. Leitch’s patients have access to the latest clinical trials, many of which are only available in North Texas at UT Southwestern.
She serves on the Breast Cancer Steering Committee for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is a member of the board of directors for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, one of the nation’s foremost NCI cooperative groups for cancer research.
Dr. Leitch is fluent in Spanish and French.
A. Marilyn Leitch, M.D., is a national authority on breast cancer. During her career, she has helped thousands of patients successfully triumph over this disease, and she has been at the forefront of research that has led to groundbreaking advancements and new standards of care for breast cancer.
"We are constantly taking steps to give our patients the best outcomes for survival with the least long-term effects from treatment."
Part of her work has led to reducing the long-term side effects of breast cancer surgery. Specifically, Dr. Leitch recently co-authored a practice-changing study regarding lymph node removal during surgery. This has led to less invasive partial node removal, which benefits patients who are planning breast-conserving surgery combined with radiation. Removing just part of the lymph nodes achieves effective outcomes, while allowing for shorter recovery times. It also minimizes the potential of arm swelling (called lymphedema) and reduces the risk of tingling or numbness in the upper arm and other side effects.
Her focus is solely on achieving the best possible outcomes for patients. Whether it’s providing access to the latest advancements in breast cancer treatment or the latest clinical trials, Dr. Leitch’s patients can count on her commitment to outstanding care and a personalized approach to fighting their disease.
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