Angela R Bradbury, MD

Philadelphia Magazine 2009
Rising Star Under 40
Oncology

To listen. This is my personal approach to patient care. As a doctor and ethicist, I have always been drawn to the patient narrative, meaning a person's account of themselves and their experiences. Everyone has a different story and different needs. Oncology lets me participate in these individual life stories and hopefully make a difference for both my patients and their families.

I came to Fox Chase Cancer Center in 2007 as director of the Margaret Dyson Family Risk Assessment Program (now Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Assessment). I was impressed by the comprehensive approach to cancer care at Fox Chase. This includes an emphasis not only on treatment but on supportive care, a supportive environment, patient education and cancer prevention. In addition, I was attracted to the commitment to clinical research and, specifically, the long tradition of research in family risk assessment.

I am very interested in women's health and how women balance all of the competing responsibilities in today's world. As a breast cancer specialist, I get to know brave women who are finding a way to incorporate cancer treatment or a risk of cancer into their life stories.

Beyond treatment, I also specialize in cancer prevention. I feel it is one of the most effective ways to ultimately decrease the burden of cancer. I particularly enjoy cancer risk assessment because of its link to whole families and the ethical dilemmas that arise from advances such as genetic technology and testing.

Ethical dilemmas in the cancer prevention field as well as predictive genetic testing are my primary research focus. My interest and ongoing research in medical ethics gives me a way to consider more deeply the impact of medicine on individuals and society as a whole.

Currently, I am studying how and when parents communicate their BRCA [breast cancer gene] mutation status to their children and the impact of early communication of genetic risk on children's health behaviors. This research is funded through an American Cancer Society Mentored Research Scholar Grant.

Learning from my patients is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. It also is fulfilling to identify research questions in the clinical setting that are relevant to them and then, develop methods to study and hopefully answer these questions. I hope to continue the long tradition of excellence in family risk assessment at Fox Chase and to help build up cancer prevention as a field for better public health.

Video

Dr. Bradbury featured in a story about genetic testing for breast cancer on NBC's "Today Show."
September 6, 2007

Medical Oncology
Director, Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Risk Assessment

Meet other members of the
breast cancer treatment team.

Meet other members of the
ovarian cancer treatment team.

Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111-2497

New patients can request an appointment online or call 215-728-2570.

For the Margaret Dyson Family Risk Assessment Program, call:
1-800-325-4145 or 215-728-2795.

For general information, call:
1-888-FOX CHASE.
An oncology certified nurse will assist you.

Clinical Expertise:

Breast Cancer; Cancer Risk Assessment and Prevention; Hereditary Cancer Syndromes; Medical Ethics

Medical Education:

Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C., 1999

Residency:

Internal Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.

Fellowships:

Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.;

Medical Ethics, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.

Certifications:

American Board of Internal Medicine;
Medical Oncology

Professional Societies:

American Society of Clinical Oncology;
The American Society of Human Genetics;
American Society of Preventive Oncology;
American Society of Hematology;
American Association for Cancer Research;
American College of Physicians;
American College of Epidemiology;
American Association for Cancer Education

Research Interests:

Hereditary Cancer Syndromes; Family-Risk Assessment and Counseling; Predictive Genetic Testing; Cancer Prevention; Chemoprevention; Clinical Medical Ethics