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Maryam Lustberg, MD, MPH

Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology)
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Additional Titles

Director, Center for Breast Cancer

Chief, Breast Medical Oncology

About

Titles

Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology)

Director, Center for Breast Cancer; Chief, Breast Medical Oncology

Biography

Maryam Lustberg, MD, MPH, is Director of the Center for Breast Cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center, and Chief of Breast Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center. She is also an Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology). She has been recognized for her patient-focused care with awards that include being rated by Forbes as one of the top breast medical oncologists in the nation and named to the Castle Connolly list of “Regional Top Doctors,” and “Exceptional Women in Medicine” for 2020. She is currently participating in the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Leadership Development Program.

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With an emphasis on improving the long-term outcomes for patients with breast cancer who have developed side effects associated with treatment, Dr. Lustberg will continue her research efforts at Yale. She is also focused on investigating novel blood-based biomarkers to identify recurrence and treatment toxicity earlier. She is an NCI-funded investigator and active in both ALLIANCE and SWOG Cancer Cooperative Groups. Dr. Lustberg collaborates widely with researchers from around the world, thriving in creating innovative multidisciplinary scientific teams. Her mentorship has been recognized by numerous awards including Best Teacher Award by Hematology Oncology Fellows and the Shining Star Award for Medical Student Mentorship.

Nationally, Dr. Lustberg is a member of the ASCO Annual Meeting Education Committee, Patient and Survivor Care Education Committee, and Neuropathy Expert Guideline Panel. She is actively engaged in national patient advocacy organizations with a focus on improving shared decision making and increasing patient engagement in clinical trials. In addition, she serves as the President Elect and on the Board of Directors for the international organization Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC). She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Cancer Survivorship. In the last decade, she has published over 140 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

Dr. Lustberg received her medical degree from the University of Maryland where she also completed her residency and went on to complete a fellowship in medical oncology and in breast medical oncology at The Ohio State University before joining the faculty in 2010. She earned a Master's in Public Health from The Ohio State University in 2013.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

MPH
The Ohio State University, Clinical Investigation (2010)
MD
University of Maryland (2003)

Research

Overview

Dr. Lustberg collaborates widely with researchers from around the world, thriving in creating innovative multidisciplinary scientific teams. Her mentorship has been recognized by numerous awards including Best Teacher Award by Hematology Oncology Fellows and the Shining Star Award for Medical Student Mentorship. Her research is focused on improving the long-term outcomes for patients with breast cancer who have developed side effects associated with treatment and also investigating novel blood-based biomarkers to identify recurrence and treatment toxicity earlier. She is a NCI-funded investigator and active in both ALLIANCE and SWOG Cancer Cooperative Groups.

Medical Research Interests

Breast Neoplasms; Cancer Survivors; Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Maryam Lustberg's published research.

Publications

2025

2024

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Clinical Trials

Current Trials

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Clinical Care

Overview

Maryam Lustberg, MD, MPH, is the director of the Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital and chief of Breast Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center.

A medical oncologist, Dr. Lustberg says she loved science and the humanities in high school and college. “Studying biochemistry in college, I knew I didn’t want to always be in the lab and realized that the practice of medicine allowed me to take the best of science and invest in patients,” she says. “I had multiple family members over the years who had cancer and always appreciated the relationships they formed with their physicians."

In medical school, she shadowed a breast cancer physician. “She knew her patients so well and they trusted her. It wasn’t just, ‘Here’s your treatment,’ but talking to them about their lives and their goals and their families," Dr. Lustberg adds.

Today, Dr. Lustberg says she takes that patient-centered approach to heart. “I really enjoy the longitudinal relationships we can develop with cancer patients. Not all of our patients do well, and the losses we feel deeply, but at all stages, we can work with patients and families for a long time and I enjoy that,” she says.

Dr. Lustberg treats all stages and types of breast cancer, and her research focuses on quality of life, symptom management, and toxicity. “It’s a field I am passionate about and something I can integrate in my inpatient and outpatient care,” she says.

When working with a patient who has a new diagnosis of breast cancer, Dr. Lustberg says she understands that to many, they are learning a new language. “They may already have a lot of information but it may have washed over them and now it’s time to regroup after they’ve had a little time to process,” she says. “I review the diagnosis and what it means and spend a lot of time reviewing treatment options. I always emphasize that this isn’t the only time we will talk about options, as there are a lot of new ones coming out.”

Additionally, Dr. Lustberg says she makes a point to stop the conversation and ensure that her patient and their family members understand what she is saying and to ask if they need her to stop, slow down, or answer additional questions.

“I believe in shared decision-making and acknowledge that we as physicians can always do a better job at communicating with our patients. I will do everything I can to make sure their needs are being met,” she says.

Clinical Specialties

Breast Oncology

Fact Sheets

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Board Certifications

  • Medical Oncology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Internal Medicine
    Original Certification Date
    2010

  • Internal Medicine

    Certification Organization
    AB of Internal Medicine
    Original Certification Date
    2006

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