Meet Dr. Barbara Haley
Breast Cancer Specialist

Barbara Haley, M.D., specializes in medical oncology, with a total focus on breast cancer and emerging alternatives to treat the disease. Her commitment to patients: go above and beyond standard care.  

As a lead investigator at UT Southwestern Medical Center for breast cancer therapeutic treatments, Dr. Haley’s work has been involved with studies that have led to significant advancements  in chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and biologic. This includes new alternatives and improving the effectiveness of conventional therapies.

Patients do not have to fly to Houston for access to the newest breast cancer treatments. Our team at UT Southwestern offers them a system of comprehensive care and services that take into consideration the total needs of a breast cancer patient.”

For example, she participated in a national study on new mTOR inhibitors, a kinase that affects the growth of cancer cells. This anticancer agent provides an option to delay chemotherapy for patients with estrogen-reception (ER) and metastatic breast cancer. These findings led to a new drug approved by the FDA in July 2012. 

Dr. Haley has gained international recognition for work related to asses HER-2-positive breast cancer therapies. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) protein, which results from genetic mutation and factors in about 1 in 5 breast cancers, can be extremely resistant to hormone therapies. Findings have led to ways to target the protein and decrease the promotion of new cancer cells.

One of her special areas of interest is postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Her focus is first on treating the cancer, but also on managing other issues such as bone density loss, gynecologic problems, cardiac disease, and weight management.

For patients, she says her work is even more powerful when combined with the team approach to care at UT Southwestern. Planning is truly integrated to benefit each patient. As part of a team, Dr. Haley combines her experience and knowledge with other breast cancer experts dedicated to providing a highly individualized, comprehensive approach to the patient.

Dr. Haley has been named to the Best Doctors in America list by U.S. News & World Report and Best Doctors in Dallas by D Magazine.

Clinical Interests

• Breast cancer
• Treatment of all types and phases of breast cancer (including noninvasive, advanced, inflammatory, metastatic, and recurrent breast cancers)
• Clinical trials/breast cancer research
• Investigational new agents
• Breast carcinoma
• Breast cancer treatments (including chemotherapy, biologic agents, hormonal therapy, and targeted therapy)
• Cancer genetics/management of familial breast cancer
• Breast cancer prevention
• Management of side effects from breast cancer treatment
• Postmenopausal patients
• Adjuvant therapies
• Prevention of side effects from breast cancer treatment
• Breast cancer in pregnancy
• Male breast cancer