Cristina Ivan

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Cristina Ivan is a leading translational researcher whose work centers on inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)—the most lethal form of breast cancer, with a five-year survival rate of just 62–68%. Her major contributions include the development of a clinically relevant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) ex vivo model for IBC, enabling the evaluation of tumor-specific therapies. This model, described in her highly cited 2018 paper (22 citations), represents a critical tool for understanding IBC’s aggressive biology and testing novel treatments in a controlled setting. Ivan’s research bridges the gap between preclinical discovery and clinical application, directly addressing the urgent need for better therapeutic strategies in rare, aggressive cancers. Her work has been instrumental in advancing personalized medicine approaches for IBC patients. In addition to her IBC studies, Ivan has contributed to surgical oncology, notably exploring robotic retroperitoneal tumor enucleation with zero ischemia for renal cell carcinoma (2014). Through her innovative models and translational focus, Cristina Ivan continues to shape the future of cancer research, offering new hope for patients facing the most challenging diagnoses.