Ron Balassanian, MD

Professor
M_Path-Anatomic Path
[email protected]
+1 415 514-6642

Dr. Ronald Balassanian is a pathologist (a specialist in examining tissue samples for signs of disease) in the UCSF Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Biopsy Clinic at Mission Bay. He performs fine needle aspiration biopsies – removing sample cells with a needle and syringe – primarily on lumps in areas such as the breasts, thyroid or lymph nodes. This procedure can yield a quick assessment of whether a lump is benign or malignant, usually in a day or two. In some cases, ultrasound is used to guide the needle when obtaining a biopsy.

In his research, Balassanian studies minimally invasive diagnosis through FNA biopsy and investigates the use of molecular diagnostics to increase the value of FNA biopsy. He also studies breast cancer diagnosis through FNA biopsy and surgical pathology (analyzing samples removed during surgery). He is involved in the I-SPY research trials, which aim to hasten the availability of better, more personalized treatments. He also participates in the Athena Breast Health Network, a framework to allow doctors to learn from all 150,000 patients at UC medical centers and their affiliates rather than from only the patients they treat or those in clinical trials. In addition, he leads a research project called "Ask Your Pathologist," which has the goal of improving communication between pathologists and breast cancer patients.

Balassanian earned his medical degree at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. At UCSF, he completed residency training in pathology and laboratory medicine, as well as fellowship training in surgical pathology and cytopathology.

Balassanian is a fellow of the College of American Pathologists. He is a member of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Society of Cytopathology and Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology. He participates in the UCSF Global Cancer Program, contributing to teaching, implementation and research projects on breast FNA biopsy in Peru and Tanzania.

Publications

Datopotamab-deruxtecan in early-stage breast cancer: the sequential multiple assignment randomized I-SPY2.2 phase 2 trial.

Nature medicine

Khoury K, Meisel JL, Yau C, Rugo HS, Nanda R, Davidian M, Tsiatis B, Chien AJ, Wallace AM, Arora M, Rozenblit M, Hershman DL, Zimmer A, Clark AS, Beckwith H, Elias AD, Stringer-Reasor E, Boughey JC, Nangia C, Vaklavas C, Omene C, Albain KS, Kalinsky KM, Isaacs C, Tseng J, Roussos Torres ET, Thomas B, Thomas A, Sanford A, Balassanian R, Ewing C, Yeung K, Sauder C, Sanft T, Pusztai L, Trivedi MS, Outhaythip A, Li W, Onishi N, Asare AL, Beineke P, Norwood P, Brown-Swigart L, Hirst GL, Matthews JB, Moore B, Fraser Symmans W, Price E, Beedle C, Perlmutter J, Pohlmann P, Shatsky RA, DeMichele A, Yee D, van 't Veer LJ, Hylton NM, Esserman LJ

Association of Residual Ductal Carcinoma In Situ With Breast Cancer Recurrence in the Neoadjuvant I-SPY2 Trial.

JAMA surgery

Osdoit M, Yau C, Symmans WF, Boughey JC, Ewing CA, Balassanian R, Chen YY, Krings G, Wallace AM, Zare S, Fadare O, Lancaster R, Wei S, Godellas CV, Tang P, Tuttle TM, Klein M, Sahoo S, Hieken TJ, Carter JM, Chen B, Ahrendt G, Tchou J, Feldman M, Tousimis E, Zeck J, Jaskowiak N, Sattar H, Naik AM, Lee MC, Rosa M, Khazai L, Rendi MH, Lang JE, Lu J, Tawfik O, Asare SM, Esserman LJ, Mukhtar RA

Treatment Efficacy Score - continuous residual cancer burden-based metric to compare neoadjuvant chemotherapy efficacy between randomized trial arms in breast cancer trials.

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology

Marczyk M, Mrukwa A, Yau C, Wolf D, Chen YY, Balassanian R, Nanda R, Parker BA, Krings G, Sattar H, Zeck JC, Albain KS, Boughey JC, Liu MC, Elias AD, Clark AS, Venters SJ, Shad S, Basu A, Asare SM, Buxton M, Asare AL, Rugo HS, Perlmutter J, DeMichele AM, Yee D, Berry DA, van 't Veer L, Symmans WF, Esserman L, Pusztai L, I-SPY Consortium

Assessment of Residual Cancer Burden and Event-Free Survival in Neoadjuvant Treatment for High-risk Breast Cancer: An Analysis of Data From the I-SPY2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

JAMA oncology

Symmans WF, Yau C, Chen YY, Balassanian R, Klein ME, Pusztai L, Nanda R, Parker BA, Datnow B, Krings G, Wei S, Feldman MD, Duan X, Chen B, Sattar H, Khazai L, Zeck JC, Sams S, Mhawech-Fauceglia P, Rendi M, Sahoo S, Ocal IT, Fan F, LeBeau LG, Vinh T, Troxell ML, Chien AJ, Wallace AM, Forero-Torres A, Ellis E, Albain KS, Murthy RK, Boughey JC, Liu MC, Haley BB, Elias AD, Clark AS, Kemmer K, Isaacs C, Lang JE, Han HS, Edmiston K, Viscusi RK, Northfelt DW, Khan QJ, Leyland-Jones B, Venters SJ, Shad S, Matthews JB, Asare SM, Buxton M, Asare AL, Rugo HS, Schwab RB, Helsten T, Hylton NM, van 't Veer L, Perlmutter J, DeMichele AM, Yee D, Berry DA, Esserman LJ

Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer Is Associated with Indigenous American Ancestry in Latin American Women.

Cancer research

Marker KM, Zavala VA, Vidaurre T, Lott PC, Vásquez JN, Casavilca-Zambrano S, Calderón M, Abugattas JE, Gómez HL, Fuentes HA, Picoaga RL, Cotrina JM, Neciosup SP, Castañeda CA, Morante Z, Valencia F, Torres J, Echeverry M, Bohórquez ME, Polanco-Echeverry G, Estrada-Florez AP, Serrano-Gómez SJ, Carmona-Valencia JA, Alvarado-Cabrero I, Sanabria-Salas MC, Velez A, Donado J, Song S, Cherry D, Tamayo LI, Huntsman S, Hu D, Ruiz-Cordero R, Balassanian R, Ziv E, Zabaleta J, Carvajal-Carmona L, Fejerman L, COLUMBUS Consortium

Breast Cancer, Version 4.2017, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

Gradishar WJ, Anderson BO, Balassanian R, Blair SL, Burstein HJ, Cyr A, Elias AD, Farrar WB, Forero A, Giordano SH, Goetz MP, Goldstein LJ, Isakoff SJ, Lyons J, Marcom PK, Mayer IA, McCormick B, Moran MS, O'Regan RM, Patel SA, Pierce LJ, Reed EC, Salerno KE, Schwartzberg LS, Sitapati A, Smith KL, Smith ML, Soliman H, Somlo G, Telli ML, Ward JH, Kumar R, Shead DA

NCCN Guidelines Insights: Breast Cancer, Version 1.2017.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

Gradishar WJ, Anderson BO, Balassanian R, Blair SL, Burstein HJ, Cyr A, Elias AD, Farrar WB, Forero A, Giordano SH, Goetz MP, Goldstein LJ, Isakoff SJ, Lyons J, Marcom PK, Mayer IA, McCormick B, Moran MS, O'Regan RM, Patel SA, Pierce LJ, Reed EC, Salerno KE, Schwartzberg LS, Sitapati A, Smith KL, Smith ML, Soliman H, Somlo G, Telli M, Ward JH, Shead DA, Kumar R

Invasive Breast Cancer Version 1.2016, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

Gradishar WJ, Anderson BO, Balassanian R, Blair SL, Burstein HJ, Cyr A, Elias AD, Farrar WB, Forero A, Giordano SH, Goetz M, Goldstein LJ, Hudis CA, Isakoff SJ, Marcom PK, Mayer IA, McCormick B, Moran M, Patel SA, Pierce LJ, Reed EC, Salerno KE, Schwartzberg LS, Smith KL, Smith ML, Soliman H, Somlo G, Telli M, Ward JH, Shead DA, Kumar R

NCCN Guidelines Insights Breast Cancer, Version 1.2016.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

Gradishar WJ, Anderson BO, Balassanian R, Blair SL, Burstein HJ, Cyr A, Elias AD, Farrar WB, Forero A, Giordano SH, Goetz M, Goldstein LJ, Hudis CA, Isakoff SJ, Marcom PK, Mayer IA, McCormick B, Moran M, Patel SA, Pierce LJ, Reed EC, Salerno KE, Schwartzberg LS, Smith KL, Smith ML, Soliman H, Somlo G, Telli M, Ward JH, Shead DA, Kumar R

Breast Cancer Version 2.2015.

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

Gradishar WJ, Anderson BO, Balassanian R, Blair SL, Burstein HJ, Cyr A, Elias AD, Farrar WB, Forero A, Giordano SH, Goetz M, Goldstein LJ, Hudis CA, Isakoff SJ, Marcom PK, Mayer IA, McCormick B, Moran M, Patel SA, Pierce LJ, Reed EC, Salerno KE, Schwartzberg LS, Smith KL, Smith ML, Soliman H, Somlo G, Telli M, Ward JH, Shead DA, Kumar R