As a physician and scientist, Prasanna Alluri, M.D., Ph.D., brings a unique combination of skills to his patients and colleagues.
His clinical focus is on breast cancer where he sees the entire spectrum of breast cancer patients – from newly diagnosed early stage breast cancer patients seeking curative treatments to metastatic breast cancer patients looking for innovative clinical trials.
Dr. Alluri also directs a research laboratory that's focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of
treatment resistance in breast cancer.
“Through my research I focus on patients with the most aggressive forms of breast cancer who have failed several lines of treatments,” Dr. Alluri says. “Our goal is to develop new targeted therapies based on a more intricate understanding on what’s driving these cancers.”
Targeted therapies, unlike chemotherapy, are less toxic and more effective. Dr. Alluri’s team is also studying if combining targeted therapies with radiation improves the efficacy of the treatment.
While traditional radiation treatments for breast cancer last six to seven weeks, there are ongoing efforts to shorten the length of treatment.
“With the newer technologies we have, we're investigating how we can significantly shorten treatment duration, while not causing any extra side effects or reducing the treatment’s efficacy,” Dr. Alluri says. “We have many ongoing trials to address this question, and we're one of the leaders in defining new treatment paradigms for breast cancer.”
UT Southwestern's multidisciplinary efforts to treat breast cancer and the breadth of its research expertise are just a few of the reasons why UT Southwestern is an exceptional and unique place to work, according to Dr. Alluri.
“We have to keep pushing the boundaries to improve patient care,” Dr. Alluri says. “The opportunities to work with colleagues who are leaders in clinical care and basic/translational research are truly unmatched. I can’t think of a better place to work.”
