Hope S. Rugo

Dr. Hope S. Rugo is a medical oncologist and hematologist at UCSF specializing in breast cancer research and treatment. A Clinical Professor of Medicine, Dr. Rugo joined the Breast Care Center in 1999 after a decade of experience at UCSF in malignant hematology and bone marrow transplantation for a variety of diseases, including breast cancer. She entered the field of breast cancer in order to incorporate novel therapies based on an understanding of the biology of cancer with excellent quality of care into the treatment of women with breast cancer.

Dr. Rugo is the Director of the Breast Oncology Clinical Trials Program, and is the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials focusing on combining novel targeted therapeutics with standard treatment to improve the treatment of both early and late stage breast cancer. In addition, Dr. Rugo is working on studies to evaluate novel ways to reduce toxicity from therapy. She is an active member of the national cooperative group, CALGB, and a is a founding member of the Breast Cancer Research Consortium, as well as serving as an investigator in the UCSF Breast SPORE (the Bay Area Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer). Dr. Rugo teaches medical students and physicians, and regularly lectures locally, nationally and internationally on subjects relating to the treatment of breast cancer.