2004-2008 B.A., Neuroscience, University of Delaware, Newark, DE

2008-2012 M.D., Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA

2012-2015 Residency, Internal Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD

2015-2018 Clinical Fellowship, Hematology/Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC

Dr. Sarah Sammons is a nationally recognized medical oncologist and physician-scientist specializing in the treatment of all subtypes of breast cancer, with particular expertise in advanced and aggressive disease and central nervous system (CNS) metastases. She joined the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) in August 2026 as Associate Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Breast Cancer Evaluation and Treatment Program, bringing a decade of leadership from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, and earlier training at Duke Cancer Institute.

Dr. Sammons' research program is at the forefront of drug development in metastatic breast cancer, spanning novel antibody-drug conjugates, HER2-targeted agents, and next-generation therapeutics designed to address one of oncology's most difficult challenges: the prevention and treatment of brain and leptomeningeal metastases. She leads and co-leads a national portfolio of clinical trials evaluating CNS-active therapies for patients with intracranial and leptomeningeal disease, an area where treatment options have historically lagged behind advances in systemic therapy. Her work also pioneers the use of ctDNA and other biomarkers to guide treatment decisions and sharpen prognostic precision for patients across the spectrum of early and metastatic breast cancer.

A prolific researcher and sought-after voice in breast oncology, Dr. Sammons has published extensively on HER2-positive and metastatic breast cancer, CNS metastases, and antibody-drug conjugates, and is a frequent invited speaker and discussant at ASCO and SABCS, the field's premier scientific meetings. She is an active contributor to national scientific and regulatory discourse on FDA drug approvals shaping the future of breast cancer care, and has written thoughtfully on physician wellbeing and professional meaning in oncology.

Breast cancer, Metastatic Breast Cancer, Drug Development, Brain Metastases

Tarantino P, Li T, Strickland C, DeMeo M, Anderson L, Pasternak E, Anders C, Ahluwalia M, Mahtani R, Hsu L, Ossing S,
Tayob N, Tolaney S, Lin N, Sammons S. DATO-Base: A phase II study of DATOpotamab deruxtecan for patients with breast
cancer brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2025 June; 43(16_suppl):-. Available from:
https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.TPS1134 DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.TPS1134
2. Pereslete A, Hughes M, Martin A, Files J, Nguyen K, Buckley L, Patel A, Moore A, Winer E, Dillon D, Li T, Tolaney S, Lin
N, Sammons S. Analysis of HER2 expression changes from breast primary to brain metastases and the impact of HER2-low
expression on overall survival. Neuro-Oncology. 2025 January; 27(1):184-194. Available from:
https://academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology/article/27/1/184/7745611 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noae163
3. Tan T, Sammons S, Im Y, She L, Mundy K, Bigelow R, Traina T, Anders C, Yeong J, Renzulli E, Kim S, Dent R. Phase II
DORA Study of Olaparib with or without Durvalumab as a Chemotherapy-Free Maintenance Strategy in Platinum-Pretreated
Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Clinical Cancer Research. 2024 April 01; 30(7):1240-1247. Available from:
https://aacrjournals.org/clincancerres/article/30/7/1240/741836/Phase-II-DORA-Study-of-Olaparib-with-or-without DOI:
10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-2513
4. Sammons S, Shanley R, Anders C, Lin N, Sperduto P. Intracranial progression-free survival correlates with overall survival
and varies by tumor subtype in patients with breast cancer and brain metastases. Neuro-Oncology. 2026 May 12

Sammons S, Elliott A, Barroso-Sousa R, Chumsri S, Tan A, Sledge G, Tolaney S, Torres E. Concurrent predictors of an
immune responsive tumor microenvironment within tumor mutational burden-high breast cancer. Frontiers in Oncology. 2023;
13:-. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2023.1235902/full DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1235902
from: https://academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology/advance-article/doi/10.1093/neuonc/noag102/8676475 DOI:
10.1093/neuonc/noag102

Other Significant Products Highlighting Contributions to Science
1. Sammons S, Raskina K, Danziger N, Alder L, Schrock A, Venstrom J, Knutson K, Thompson E, McGregor K, Sokol E,
Chumsri S. APOBEC Mutational Signatures in Hormone Receptor–Positive Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–
Negative Breast Cancers Are Associated With Poor Outcomes on CDK4/6 Inhibitors and Endocrine Therapy. JCO Precision
Oncology. 2022 December; (6):-. Available from: https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/PO.22.00149 DOI: 10.1200/PO.22.00149
2. Sammons S, Sanglier T, Leone J, Erick T, Lambert P, Montemurro F, Poppe R, Restuccia E, Tolaney S, Lin N. Prevalence by
therapy line and incidence of breast cancer brain metastases in 18 075 patients. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
2025 August; 117(8):1565-1572. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/117/8/1565/8101485 DOI:
10.1093/jnci/djaf048
3. Sammons S, Kuntz T, DiLullo M, Morgan X, Martin A, Hughes M, Rahman T, Barroso-Sousa R, Ogayo E, Giordano J, Ryan
S, Waks A, Schlam I, Ligibel J, Lin N, Garrido-Castro A, Mittendorf E, Tolaney S. The landscape of the intestinal microbiome
among patients with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). npj Breast Cancer.
2026 February 27; 12(1):-. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41523-026-00922-3 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-026-
00922-3
4. Alder L, Trapani D, Bradbury C, Van Swearingen A, Tolaney S, Khasraw M, Anders C, Lascola C, Hsu L, Lin N, Sammons
S. Durable responses in patients with HER2+ breast cancer and leptomeningeal metastases treated with trastuzumab
deruxtecan. npj Breast Cancer. 2023 March 30; 9(1):-. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41523-023-00519-0
DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00519-0
5. Sheheryar Kabraji, Jing Ni, Sarah Sammons, Tianyu Li, Amanda E.D. Van Swearingen, Yanzhi Wang, Alyssa Pereslete,
Liangge Hsu, Pamela J. DiPiro, Chris Lascola, Heather Moore, Melissa Hughes, Akshara S. Raghavendra, Maria Gule-
Monroe, Rashmi K. Murthy, Eric P. Winer, Carey K. Anders, Jean J. Zhao, Nancy U. Lin. Table S1 from Preclinical and
Clinical Efficacy of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in Breast Cancer Brain Metastases. 2025 November. DOI: 10.1158/1078-
0432.30705765

Dr. Sammons' research focuses on novel therapeutics and drug development in metastatic breast cancer. She leads and co-leads clinical trials spanning targeted therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, HER2-targeted therapies, innovative immunotherapy techniques and other emerging agents, including studies designed specifically for patients with intracranial and leptomeningeal disease, an area where treatment options have historically lagged behind systemic therapy advances. Her work also explores how ctDNA and other biomarkers can guide treatment decisions and improve the precision of prognosis for patients with early and metastatic breast cancer.

Dr. Sammons is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of all types of breast cancer. She has particular expertise in advanced and aggressive breast cancers, including HER2-positive breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and breast cancer with central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Her clinical practice focuses on patients with metastatic and high-risk disease, where she draws on her research in novel therapeutics to guide treatment decisions.

Appointments and Positions
2023 - 2026 Senior Physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
2023 - 2026 Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
2022 - 2022 Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Alabama, United States
2018 - 2022 Assistant Professor, Duke University, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham , NC, United States