Christine Sam, MD

Cancer Focus:
Anal Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Gallbladder Cancer, Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor, Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer, Liver (Hepatocellular) Cancer, Lung Cancer, Neuroendocrine Tumor, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Small Intestine Cancer, Stomach (Gastric) Cancer, Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Dr. Christine Sam is an Assistant Member in the Department of Individualized Cancer Management/Senior Adult Oncology Program.  Dr. Sam received her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in East Lansing. She completed an Internal Medicine Residency at University of Michigan Health Systems in Ann Arbor. She completed her Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship at Moffitt Cancer Center/University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa.

Dr. Sam’s primary clinical interest is the treatment of cancer in older patients and developing care plans tailored to their individual needs. Her focus is the treatment of breast, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary malignancies. She is also engaged in improving the way we care for older patients with cancer through education of medical trainees and staff, increasing access to clinical trials, and quality improvement.

Education & Training

Board Certification:

• Internal Medicine -
• Hematology - Oncology
• Medical Oncology - Medical Oncology

Fellowship:

• University of South Florida/Moffitt Cancer Center - Hematology and Medical Oncology

Residency:

• University of Michigan Health Systems -

Medical School:

• Michigan State Univeristy College of Human Medicine - MD

• Mammadova J, Richards A, Gonzalez-Torriente A, Adler ER, Cruz RJ, Palfi S, Lee DH, Sam C, Al-Jumayli M, Berglund A, Park JY, Alomar M, Kresovich JK. Methylation-based biological age and cardiotoxicity risk in breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab. Cardiooncology. 2025 May.11(1):44. Pubmedid: 40349094. Pmcid: PMC12065287.
• Hanssen D, Champion N, Ngo J, Palfi S, Whiting J, Sun W, Laronga C, Sam C, Lee MC. Frailty and Malnutrition in Surgical Outcomes of Elderly Breast Cancer Patients. J Surg Oncol. 2025 Mar.131(3):349-355. Pubmedid: 39387508.
• Ahmed KA, Kim Y, Armaghani AJ, Arrington JA, Costa RL, Czerniecki BJ, Diaz R, Dowell RA, Extermann M, Forsyth PA, Lee KT, Loftus L, Mills MN, Phuoc VH, Rosa M, Soliman HH, Sam CS, Washington IR, Soyano AE, Han HS. Phase II trial of brain MRI surveillance in stage IV breast cancer. Neurooncol. 2025 Jul.27(6):1550-1558. Pubmedid: 39851040. Pmcid: PMC12309701.
• Eochagain CM, Neuendorff NR, Gente K, Leipe J, Verhaert M, Sam C, de Glas N, Kadambi S, Canin B, Gomes F, Decoster L, Korc-Grodzicki B, Rostoft S, Battisti NML, Wildiers H. Management of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated toxicities in older adults with cancer: recommendations from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG). Lancet Oncol. 2025 Feb.26(2):e90-e102. Pubmedid: 39914430.
• Mac Eochagain C, Power R, Sam C, Gonzalez-Senac NM, Walsh D, Roy M, Battisti NML. Inclusion, characteristics, and reporting of older adults in FDA registration studies of immunotherapy, 2018-2022. J Immunother Cancer. 2024 Aug.12(8). Pubmedid: 39209450. Pmcid: PMC11367347.
• Brown L, Carr MJ, Sam C, Sun W, Whiting J, Kim Y, Lee MC. Tolerance and Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Geriatric Breast Cancer Patients. J Surg Res. 2023 Mar.283:329-335. Pubmedid: 36427442.
• Rodriquenz MG, Negrete-Najar JP, Sam C, Sehovic M, Extermann M. Assessment of the external validity of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a population of older patients aged 70 years and older. Geriatr Oncol. 2022 Sep.13(7):952-961. Pubmedid: 35597730.
• Brown L, Naffouje SA, Sam C, Laronga C, Catherine Lee M. Neoadjuvant systemic therapy in geriatric breast cancer patients: a National Cancer Database (NCDB) analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Dec.196(3):441-451. Pubmedid: 36207620.
• Sam C, Desai P, Laber D, Patel A, Visweshwar N, Jaglal M. Pegylated bovine carboxyhaemoglobin utilisation in a thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura patient. Transfus Med. 2017 Aug.27(4):300-302. Pubmedid: 28401611.
• Nadal E, Chen G, Prensner JR, Shiratsuchi H, Sam C, Zhao L, Kalemkerian GP, Brenner D, Lin J, Reddy RM, Chang AC, Capellà G, Cardenal F, Beer DG, Ramnath N. KRAS-G12C mutation is associated with poor outcome in surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma. J Thorac Oncol. 2014 Oct.9(10):1513-1522. Pubmedid: 25170638.