Bio


Dr. Riaz is a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer whose research focuses on novel therapeutics and approaches cancer care delivery for patients with breast cancer. She is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Riaz completed formal research training during her fellowship, through Yale University’s Advanced Health Sciences Research program. This included training in biostatistics, research methodology, and health policy, ultimately culminating in the completion of a Master of Health Sciences. As faculty, she is an active member of the Stanford Breast Oncology Clinical Research Group, and currently serves as the Stanford site principal investigator and sub-investigator for several ongoing breast cancer clinical trials.

Clinical Focus


  • Breast Oncology
  • Medical Oncology

Academic Appointments


Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Panel Member, National Comprehensive Cancer Network--Hematopoietic Growth Factors Panel (2020 - Present)

Professional Education


  • Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology (2019)
  • Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (2015)
  • Fellowship: Yale Cancer Center (2019) CT
  • Chief Residency, Georgetown University Medical Center, DC (2016)
  • Residency: Georgetown University Medical Center (2016) DC
  • Medical Education: University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine (2012) FL

Clinical Trials


  • A Phase-3, Open-Label, Randomized Study of Dato-DXd Versus Investigator's Choice of Chemotherapy (ICC) in Participants With Inoperable or Metastatic HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer Who Have Been Treated With One or Two Prior Lines of Systemic Chemotherapy (TROPION-Breast01) Not Recruiting

    The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of datopotamab deruxtecan (also known as Dato-DXd, DS-1062a), when compared with Investigator's choice of standard of care single-agent chemotherapy (eribulin, capecitabine, vinorelbine, or gemcitabine) in participants with inoperable or metastatic HR-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer who have been treated with one or two prior lines of systemic chemotherapy.

    Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Cancer Clinical Trials Office (CCTO), 650-498-7061.

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  • An Expanded Access Study to Provide at Home Subcutaneous Administration of Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab Fixed-Dose Combination (PH FDC SC) for Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic Not Recruiting

    This single arm, multicenter study provides the pertuzumab and trastuzumab fixed-dose combination formulation for subcutaneous injection (PH FDC SC) administered at home by a home health nursing provider for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer who have completed concurrent chemotherapy with pertuzumab (Perjeta) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) by intravenous administration (P+H IV) and are currently receiving or will be receiving maintenance therapy with P+H IV, PH FDC SC, or trastuzumab SC in the clinic. The main objective is to enable continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study will enroll approximately 200 patients in the United States. Participants with early or metastatic HER2+ breast cancer will be enrolled in this study. Participants with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer will receive treatment every 3 weeks and continue treatment unless early cessation is necessary due to disease recurrence, disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, participant withdrawal of consent, or per physician's recommendation. Participants with early HER2+ breast cancer will receive PH FDC SC to complete 1 year (up to 18 cycles) of dual blockade, including the P+H IV, PH FDC SC, or trastuzumab SC they received prior to enrolling in this study, unless early cessation is necessary due to disease recurrence, disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, participant withdrawal of consent, or per physician's recommendation. A remote cardiac surveillance substudy will be optional for patients enrolled at select sites. The Sponsor may decide to terminate the study when the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a risk for this patient population.

    Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Cancer Clinical Trials Office (CCTO), 650-498-7061.

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  • Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (DS-8201a) Versus Investigator's Choice for HER2-low Breast Cancer That Has Spread or Cannot be Surgically Removed [DESTINY-Breast04] Not Recruiting

    This study will compare DS-8201a to physician choice standard treatment. Participants must have HER2-low breast cancer that has been treated before. Participants' cancer: - Cannot be removed by an operation - Has spread to other parts of the body

    Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial. For more information, please contact Cancer Clinical Trials Office (CCTO), 650-498-7061.

    View full details

All Publications


  • Uptake and Survival Outcomes Following Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy Among Trial-Ineligible Patients With Advanced Solid Cancers. JAMA oncology Parikh, R. B., Min, E. J., Wileyto, E. P., Riaz, F., Gross, C. P., Cohen, R. B., Hubbard, R. A., Long, Q., Mamtani, R. 2021

    Abstract

    Importance: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are part of standard of care for patients with many advanced solid tumors. Patients with poor performance status or organ dysfunction are traditionally ineligible to partake in pivotal randomized clinical trials of ICIs.Objective: To assess ICI use and survival outcomes among patients with advanced cancers who are traditionally trial ineligible based on poor performance status or organ dysfunction.Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in 280 predominantly community oncology practices in the US and included 34 131 patients (9318 [27.3%] trial ineligible) who initiated first-line systemic therapy from January 2014 through December 2019 for newly diagnosed metastatic or recurrent nontargetable non-small cell lung, urothelial cell, renal cell, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Data analysis was performed from December 1, 2019, to June 1, 2021.Exposures: Trial ineligibility (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥2 or the presence of kidney or liver dysfunction); first-line systemic therapy.Main Outcomes and Measures: The association between trial ineligibility and ICI monotherapy uptake was assessed using inverse probability-weighted (IPW) logistic regressions. The comparative survival outcomes following ICI and non-ICI therapy among trial-ineligible patients were assessed using treatment IPW survival analyses. Because we observed nonproportional hazards, we reported 12-month and 36-month restricted mean survival times (RMSTs) and time-varying hazard ratios (HRs) of less than 6 months and 6 months or greater.Results: Among the overall cohort (n=34 131), the median (IQR) age was 70 (62-77) years; 23 586 (69%) were White individuals, and 14 478 (42%) were women. Over the study period, the proportion of patients receiving ICI monotherapy increased from 0% to 30.2% among trial-ineligible patients and 0.1% to 19.4% among trial-eligible patients. Trial ineligibility was associated with increased ICI monotherapy use (IPW-adjusted odds ratio compared with non-ICI therapy, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.7-1.9). Among trial-ineligible patients, there were no overall survival differences between ICI monotherapy, ICI combination therapy, and non-ICI therapy at 12 months (RMST, 7.8 vs 7.7 vs 8.1 months) or 36 months (RMST, 15.0 vs 13.9 vs 14.4 months). Compared with non-ICI therapy, ICI monotherapy showed evidence of early harm (IPW-adjusted HR within 6 months, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.2) but late benefit (adjusted HR among patients who survived 6 months, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-0.8).Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, compared with trial-eligible patients, trial-ineligible patients with advanced cancers preferentially received first-line ICI therapy. A survival difference was not detected between ICI and non-ICI therapies among trial-ineligible patients. Positive results for ICI in phase 3 trials may not translate to this vulnerable population.

    View details for DOI 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.4971

    View details for PubMedID 34734979

  • Uptake and effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitor therapy among trial-ineligible patients with advanced solid malignancies. Parikh, R., Min, E., Wileyto, E., Riaz, F., Gross, C., Cohen, R. B., Hubbard, R. A., Long, Q., Mamtani, R. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2021
  • Adoption of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Patterns of Care at the End of Life. JCO oncology practice Riaz, F., Gan, G., Li, F., Davidoff, A. J., Adelson, K. B., Presley, C. J., Adamson, B. J., Shaw, P., Parikh, R. B., Mamtani, R., Gross, C. P. 2020: OP2000010

    Abstract

    PURPOSE: As immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the care of patients with cancer, it is unclear whether treatment at the end of life (EOL) has changed. Because aggressive therapy at the EOL is associated with increased costs and patient distress, we explored the association between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of ICIs and treatment patterns at the EOL.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, observational study using patient-level data from a nationwide electronic health record-derived database. Patients had advanced melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC; cancer types with an ICI indication), or microsatellite stable (MSS) colon cancer (a cancer type without an ICI indication) and died between 2013 and 2017. We calculated annual proportions of decedents who received systemic cancer therapy in the final 30 days of life, using logistic regression to model the association between the post-ICI FDA approval time and use of systemic therapy at the EOL, adjusting for patient characteristics. We assessed the use of chemotherapy or targeted/biologic therapies at the EOL, before and after FDA approval of ICIs using Pearson chi-square test.RESULTS: There was an increase in use of EOL systemic cancer therapy in the post-ICI approval period for both melanoma (33.9% to 43.2%; P < .001) and NSCLC (37.4% to 40.3%; P < .001), with no significant change in use of systemic therapy in MSS colon cancer. After FDA approval of ICIs, patients with NSCLC and melanoma had a decrease in the use of chemotherapy, with a concomitant increase in use of ICIs at the EOL.CONCLUSION: The adoption of ICIs was associated with a substantive increase in the use of systemic therapy at the EOL in melanoma and a smaller yet significant increase in NSCLC.

    View details for DOI 10.1200/OP.20.00010

    View details for PubMedID 32678688

  • Uptake of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors among medically frail patients with advanced solid malignancies. Parikh, R., Cohen, R. B., Min, E., Wileyto, E., Riaz, F., Gross, C., Long, Q., Mamtani, R. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2020
  • The adoption of immune checkpoint inhibitors and patterns of care at the end of life. Riaz, F., Gan, G., Li, F., Davidoff, A. J., Adelson, K. B., Presley, C. J., Adamson, B. S., Shaw, P., Parikh, R., Mamtani, R., Gross, C. AMER SOC CLINICAL ONCOLOGY. 2020
  • Disparities in broad-based genomic sequencing for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC ONCOLOGY Riaz, F., Presley, C. J., Chiang, A. C., Longtine, J. A., Soulos, P. R., Adelson, K. B., Herbst, R. S., Nussbaum, N. C., Sorg, R. A., Abernethy, A. P., Agarwala, V., Gross, C. P. 2019; 10 (4): 669–72