Olwen Hahn
· Associate Professor of MedicineUniversity of Chicago · Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation
Active 2005–2025
About
Olwen Hahn, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at The University of Chicago. Her clinical practice specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, where she offers a comprehensive range of treatments including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, endocrine therapy, and participation in therapeutic clinical trials. Dr. Hahn advocates for the use of systemic therapy prior to surgery to better understand tumor response and is committed to advancing cancer care through clinical trials. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Hahn has extensive experience working with national oncology clinical trial groups such as the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. She served as an Executive Officer from 2008 to 2017, assisting in the development and conduct of oncology trials. Since 2019, she has been the Director and Principal Investigator of the Alliance Central Protocol Operations Program and the Vice President of the Alliance Foundation for Clinical Trials in Oncology, overseeing clinical operations for a large portfolio of multi-institutional, national studies.
Research topics
- Medicine
- Internal medicine
- Oncology
- Radiology
- Pathology
- Gynecology
- Surgery
- Biology
- Nuclear medicine
Selected publications
European Urology · 2025-03-01
articleJournal of Clinical Oncology · 2025-05-28
article561 Background: Obesity and other lifestyle factors are associated with breast cancer (BC) risk and outcomes. These relationships appear to vary in pre- vs postmenopausal women. Here we explore associations between pathological features, diet quality and physical activity (PA) in patients (pts) with BC enrolled in the BWEL (Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology A011401) trial, stratifying for menopausal status. Methods: BWEL is a phase III trial evaluating the impact of a weight loss intervention on disease outcomes in 3180 pts with stage II-III HER2– BC and body mass index ≥27 kg/m 2 . The first 542 BWEL pts underwent assessment of PA (7-Day PA Recall) and diet (24-hour Diet Recall) at enrollment. Healthy Eating Index 2020 (HEI) score (0-100, higher value = healthier diet) and minutes/week (min/wk) of moderate/vigorous PA (MVPA) were calculated. Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression level (%) were abstracted from pathology reports. Analyses of links between HEI score, MVPA min/wk, % ER/PR, stratified by menopausal status, were conducted using t-tests; differential associations by menopausal status used linear regression models with interaction term. Results: In 523 pts with available pathology data, 76.5% had ER/PR+ BC, 56.2% were postmenopausal. Median HEI score was 50.1 (range 18.1-96.4), median MVPA min/wk was 0 (range 0-630), median time from diagnosis to enrollment was 10.0 months (range 2.4-13.1). In postmenopausal pts, higher diet quality was linked to increased % ER and PR (HEI above vs below median, mean % ER 78.0 vs 66.1, p=0.012; mean % PR 57.7 vs 43.1, p=0.004). The relationship between HEI score and % ER/PR differed significantly by menopausal status (interaction term of menopausal status and % ER: p=0.006; and % PR: p=0.012); there were no significant associations between HEI scores and % ER/PR in premenopausal pts. There were no significant associations between PA and % ER/PR. Conclusions: Healthier diet was associated with higher % ER and PR in postmenopausal pts with BC, but no relationship was seen in premenopausal pts. These data suggest that lifestyle factors may influence BC pathologic features related to outcomes in older women. Support: U10CA180821, U10CA180882, UG1CA189823, U24CA196171, https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org . Clinical trial information: NCT02750826 . % ER mean (SD) p value % PR mean (SD) p value Post-Menopausal HEI* score≤50.1 [n=134]>50.1 [n=156] 66.1 (43.3)78.0 (36.8) 0.012 43.1 (41.8)57.7 (41.0) 0.004 MVPA † min/wk0 [n=147]≥1 [n=147] 74.5 (39.3)70.3 (41.2) 0.37 50.0 (41.8)53.0 (42.0) 0.41 Pre-Menopausal HEI* score≤50.1 [n=124]>50.1 [n=103] 70.5 (38.5)65.5 (43.0) 0.15 53.5 (41.1)49.1 (43.0) 0.43 MVPA † min/wk0 [n=112]≥1 [n=113] 66.3 (41.0)66.3 (41.2) 0.99 49.5 (41.4)52.6 (42.7) 0.59 *Healthy Eating Index. † Moderate/Vigorous Physical Activity.
European Urology Open Science · 2025-11-01
articleOpen accessBreast Cancer Research and Treatment · 2025-02-10 · 2 citations
articleOpen accessPURPOSE: Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity may mediate chemoresistance in advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Preclinical studies demonstrate that GR antagonism can augment the effect of taxanes in TNBC models. We hypothesized that pretreatment with mifepristone, a potent GR antagonist, would enhance nab-paclitaxel efficacy in advanced TNBC. METHODS: This trial was terminated early due to poor accrual. 29 of 64 planned patients were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive nab-paclitaxel with or without mifepristone; oral mifepristone 300 mg was administered the day prior and day of each dose of nab-paclitaxel. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary/exploratory endpoints included response rate and correlation of response with GR expression. RESULTS: The addition of mifepristone to nab-paclitaxel did not improve PFS (3.0 m vs 3.0 m, p = 0.687) or overall response rate (23% vs 31.5%) compared to nab-paclitaxel alone. There was a trend towards improved overall survival in the combination group, primarily driven by one long-term responder. Increased rates of grade 3 neutropenia (46% vs 7%) and febrile neutropenia were observed in the combination arm, while other toxicities were similar in both groups. Increased GR expression was not correlated with clinical response in the combination arm. CONCLUSIONS: While there were responders to the combination, the study was underpowered to meet the primary endpoint. Higher rates of neutropenia were observed in the combination, but overall it was well tolerated. Preclinical data in TNBC and clinical data in other malignancies support further investigation of GR modulators. Future studies should incorporate biomarkers to select patients who benefit from GR inhibition.
Neuro-Oncology · 2025-11-01
articleOpen accessAbstract PURPOSE Proton radiotherapy offers the opportunity to potentially spare healthy tissue and increase survival in some primary and secondary brain tumors in adults. Specifically, data has shown proton radiotherapy to be more beneficial than traditional photon therapy in leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Treatment options are limited in neuro-oncology, and proton radiotherapy is a scarce resource. If proton radiotherapy is thought to be beneficial, then there may be an ethical obligation to increase access for a vulnerable patient population. If outcomes are not significantly different, however, then expanding access may not be justifiable given the high level of resource utilization required for proton use. METHODS This is a qualitative analysis of interviews from neuro-oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, exploring their perspectives on proton use in adult brain tumors. Interviews were analyzed using a framework analysis, and key themes and quotations were identified. RESULTS We interviewed 12 physicians from 8 academic institutions in the Midwest. There was a spectrum of opinions regarding the value of and experiences with proton radiotherapy. Most participants referred patients for proton radiotherapy, most commonly citing reduced toxicity as the indication, driven by evidence in adult brain tumors and more so by extrapolation of proton research in other cancers. A slight majority of participants felt it was important to overcome barriers to access proton radiotherapy and that more research was indicated. CONCLUSION Participant perspectives on proton use in adult brain tumors are varied and with some uncertainty. Our data recommends investing in regional rather than institutional centers, collaborating with biomedical companies to reduce costs, and to consider expanding access for advanced photon radiotherapy given that this may be a relatively easier method for wider adoption. More research is needed to demonstrate the beneficial and detrimental effects of proton radiotherapy and how this compares to advanced photon radiotherapy techniques.
Annals of Oncology · 2025-09-01
articleClinical Cancer Research · 2025-06-13
articleAbstract Background: Unfavorable metabolic and inflammatory parameters are associated with increased risk of recurrence, comorbidities, and cancer-specific and all-cause mortality in early-stage breast cancer. The BWEL trial (Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology A011401; NCT02750826) evaluates the impact of a lifestyle based WLI on invasive disease-free survival in 3180 women with stage II-III Her-2 negative breast cancer and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 27 kg/m2. Here we report the impact of the WLI on metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. Methods: BWEL participants were randomized to a health education (HE) alone control arm (n=1489) or to a 2-year WLI plus HE (n=1491). The WLI was delivered through telephone-based health coaching and focused on caloric restriction and increased exercise. Participants underwent collection of fasting (confirmed by self-report) blood at baseline, 6 and 24 months. Serum levels of c-reactive protein (CRP), insulin, and leptin were assessed centrally using commercial ELISA assay kits at Yale School of Public Health. Samples were run in batches with all samples from an individual patient analyzed in a single batch. The absorbance was determined at the wavelength of 450 nm with a correct reference wavelength of 600 nm using a spectrometry (Biotek Instrument Inc, Winooski, Vermont). 10% of samples were run in duplicate, and a pooled serum sample was run in each plate for the calculation of intra-assay variation. Non-fasting samples were omitted from metabolic analyses. Summaries are reported as means (± standard deviation). Comparison of the mean changes from baseline between the treatment groups was determined with a two-sample t-test. Results: At baseline, average BMI was 34.5 (±5.7) kg/m2, average age was 53.4 years (±10.6), and 57% of participants were postmenopausal at the time of diagnosis. Most participants were White (80.3%); 12.8% identified as Black and 7.3% as Hispanic. Fasting serum samples were available from 2725 participants at baseline, 2234 at 6 months, and 1230 at 24 months. There were no significant differences in levels of metabolic or inflammatory biomarkers between groups at baseline (Leptin: 40.2 [±23.1] ng/ml WLI vs 39.3 [±23.7] ng/ml HE; CRP: 4.2 [±2.8] mg/L WLI vs 4.5 [±2.9] mg/L HE; Insulin: 16.5 [±14.9] mIU/ml WLI vs 16.5 [±14.3] mIU/ml HE). Participants in the WLI arm experienced significant reductions in all metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers vs HE at 6 and 24 months. Leptin changed by -8.4 (±16.1) ng/ml at 6 months and -1.8 (±18.70) ng/ml at 24 months in the WLI vs +1.9 (±16.1) ng/ml and +4.6 (±20.5) ng/ml in the HE arm (both p<0.0001). CRP changed by -0.3 (±2.1) mg/L at 6 months and -0.4 (±2.4) mg/L at 24 months in the WLI vs +0.01 (±2.1) mg/L and +0.01 (±2.3) mg/L in the HE arm (p=0.0004 and 0.0014, respectively). Insulin changed by -2.4 (±17.2)mIU/ml at 6 months and -0.8 (±11.6) mIU/ml at 24 months in the WLI group vs + 0.9 (±14.7) mIU/ml and +1.9 (±14.7)mIU/ml in the HE arm (p<0.0001 and p=0.0005, respectively). Conclusions: A telephone-based WLI led to significant improvements in metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers known to be associated with cancer recurrence, comorbidities, and survival in a cohort of participants with obesity treated for early breast cancer. Further follow-up of the BWEL trial will evaluate whether changes in biomarkers predict improvements in cancer outcomes. Support: U10CA180821, U10CA180882, UG1CA189823; U24CA196171; U10CA180820 (ECOG-ACRIN), U10CA180868 (NRG Oncology); U10CA180863, CCS 707213 (CCTG), UG1CA189974 (SWOG); https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org. Citation Format: Jennifer Ligibel, Karla V. Ballman, Linda McCall, Lingeng Lu, Melinda Irwin, Pamela J. Goodwin, Catherine M. Alfano, Vanessa Bernstein, Tracy E. Crane, Linda M. Delahanty, Elizabeth Frank, Olwen Hahn, Dawn L. Hershman, Judith O. Hopkins, Erica L. Mayer, Lori Minasian, Linda Nebeling, Marian L. Neuhouser, Electra D. Paskett, Patricia A. Spears, Vered Stearns, Cynthia A. Thomson, Anna Weiss, Julia White, Thomas A. Wadden, Clifford Hudis, Eric P. Winer,, Lisa A. Carey, Ann H. Partridge. Effect of a weight loss intervention (WLI) on metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in women with obesity and breast cancer: Results from the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial (Alliance) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2024; 2024 Dec 10-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2025;31(12 Suppl):Abstract nr RF1-01.
European Urology · 2025-03-01
articleJAMA Oncology · 2025-08-21 · 6 citations
articleOpen accessImportance: Obesity is associated with a higher risk of recurrence, mortality, comorbidities, treatment-related adverse effects, and poor quality of life in patients with breast cancer. Scalable interventions are needed to promote weight loss in this population. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a remotely delivered weight loss intervention (WLI) on weight change at 1 year in patients with breast cancer and obesity and to explore factors associated with weight change. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Breast Cancer Weight Loss trial is a phase 3, randomized clinical trial evaluating the impact of a telephone-based WLI on invasive disease-free survival and other outcomes in women with obesity and early breast cancer at 637 sites across the US and Canada. Participants were enrolled to the study between August 2016 and February 2021. Participants included women with stage II to III, ERBB2-negative breast cancer and a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher. Interventions: Participants were randomized to a 2-year, telephone-based WLI plus health education or health education alone control group. Main Outcome and Measures: The primary end point for this prespecified secondary analysis was weight change at 1 year. Weight was measured at baseline and 1 year, and changes in weight were compared between groups. Weight change was evaluated with a linear mixed-effects model including treatment group, weight over time, a time-by-group interaction, menopausal status, race and ethnicity, and hormone receptor status. Results: A total of 3180 women with breast cancer and BMI of 27 and higher were included in the study; 1591 were randomized to the WLI and 1589 to the control group. At baseline, the mean (SD) age of participants was 53.4 (10.6), and the mean (SD) BMI was 34.4 (5.6). The racial and ethnic breakdown included 406 (12.8%) Black, 231 (7.3%) Hispanic or Latino, 2906 (91.4%) non-Hispanic, and 2555 (80.3%) White participants. WLI participants lost a mean of 4.3 kg (95% CI 3.9-4.6 kg), or 4.7% (95% CI, 4.3%-5.0%) of baseline body weight at 1 year vs control participants, who gained 0.9 kg (95% CI, 0.5-1.3 kg), or 1.0% (95% CI 0.1%-1.4%) of baseline body weight (P < .001). Participants randomized to WLI experienced significant weight loss (vs control group participants) across demographic and tumor factors. WLI effect differed significantly by menopausal status, with postmenopausal participants having greater weight loss than premenopausal participants, and by race and ethnicity, with Black and Hispanic participants having less weight loss compared to other races and ethnicities. Conclusions and Relevance: In this secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial, a telephone-based WLI induced significant weight loss in patients with breast cancer with overweight and obesity across demographic and treatment factors. Further follow-up of the Breast Cancer Weight Loss trial will evaluate whether the WLI improves disease outcomes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02750826.
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment · 2025-08-08
articleOpen accessPURPOSE: Preclinical models of glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-positive breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) suggest GR activity inhibits chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, and GR antagonism using mifepristone (Mif) enhances cytotoxicity. We performed a phase I trial combining mifepristone, carboplatin (C), gemcitabine (G). METHODS: A standard "3 + 3" dose escalation scheme was used. Objectives were safety and to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of Mif + CG. CG was administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle, and mifepristone was administered orally the day before and day of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients enrolled with a median age of 54 years; the median prior metastatic regimens were one. Twenty-five patients were evaluable for dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) including 16 BC and 9 OC. Dose was de-escalated to dose level (DL) -1 due to 2/4 neutropenia-related DLT's. DLT definition was updated to exclude hematologic DLTs starting at DL-1. The dose was further de-escalated due to neutropenia, and 2/3, 1/4 and 0/6 patients experienced a DLT at DL-1, DL-2, and DL-3, respectively. At DL-1, prophylactic pegylated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was instituted. Dose levels -1 and -2 were expanded to add 3 and 6 patients, respectively, to evaluate tolerability in dose levels -1a and -2a. There were 3 major responses (1CR, 2PR) at DL1, and 1 CR at DL-1. No responses were observed at lower levels. CONCLUSION: on D1 and 8 with Mif 300 mg D-1 and D1 with pegylated G-CSF administered on day 9 of a 21-day cycle.
Recent grants
Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Operations Center - GY11 Funded Extension
NIH · $256.0M · 2014–2026
NIH · $112.9M · 2014–2026
Frequent coauthors
- 54 shared
Michael J. Morris
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- 46 shared
Susan Halabi
- 43 shared
Eric P. Winer
Yale Cancer Center
- 39 shared
Lisa A. Carey
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- 39 shared
Eric J. Small
- 35 shared
Gini F. Fleming
- 34 shared
Karla V. Ballman
Cornell University
- 30 shared
Clifford A. Hudis
American Society of Clinical Oncology
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