Skip to main content

Jennifer K Plichta

E. Fulton Brylawski Associate Professor in Women's Health
Surgical Oncology

Overview


Dr. Jennifer Plichta is an Associate Professor of Surgery & Population Health Sciences at Duke University. She serves as the Director of the Breast Risk Assessment Clinic in the Duke Cancer Institute, where she cares for patients with breast cancer, benign breast problems, and those with an increased risk of breast cancer. Her clinical interests include establishing routine breast cancer risk assessment for women and creating personalized management strategies for those found to be “high risk”.

Dr. Plichta’s research focuses of identifying and managing women with risk factors for breast cancer, including those with genetic mutations, such as BRCA, those with abnormal breast biopsies, and those with a family history of breast cancer. She is also studying metastatic breast cancer and how breast cancer staging can be used to improve patient care and education. 

However, her dedication to breast cancer extends beyond her clinical and research interests. She also enjoys educating the community about breast cancer and helping to raise money for breast cancer research and education. She is the creator and primary coordinator of Duke’s free, annual breast education day for the community, “What’s best for breasts?”.

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


E. Fulton Brylawski Associate Professor in Women's Health · 2025 - Present Surgical Oncology, Surgery
Associate Professor of Surgery · 2021 - Present Surgical Oncology, Surgery
Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2021 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2018 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

Recent News Items


Published October 13, 2026
Jennifer Plichta Is Redefining Personalized Breast Cancer Care
Published October 14, 2025
Breast Cancer Treatments in Older Patients
Published May 12, 2025
Breast Cancer Screenings & Older Patients

View All News Items

Recent Scholarly Works


The effect of delays in cancer surgery due to the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer resectability and postoperative mortality in different tumor entities

Journal article Discover Oncology · December 1, 2026 Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritization of COVID-19 patients led to delays in oncological surgery, potentially impacting patient outcomes. This analysis examines the effects of surgical delays in various tumor entities on resectability and ... Full text Cite

Oncotype DX-guided vs physician-directed chemotherapy and survival in HR+/HER2- breast cancer.

Journal article Breast · October 2026 BACKGROUND: Oncotype DX testing guides adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in early-stage hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer, but testing is not universally performed, and outcomes associated with genomic-informed versus clinicopathologic-ba ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patient-Level Evaluation of Optimal Margin Width for Lumpectomy in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: An Analysis of Patients in the National Cancer Database Special Study.

Journal article J Clin Oncol · September 21, 2026 PURPOSE: Re-excision for close margins in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) aims to reduce recurrence rates. The current recommended margin width of ≥2 mm is based on study-level data. Using a multicent ... Full text Link to item Cite
View All Scholarly Works

Recent Grants


Post-Recurrence Survival in Patients with Recurrent Breast Cancer: Identifying Key Predictors and Standardizing Assessments

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2026 - 2031

Using Infrared Spectroscopy To Analyze Volatile Organic Compounds In The Breath Of Patients with Breast Cancer - Pro00117549

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Breathe BioMedical Inc. · 2025 - 2030

View All Grants

Education


Loyola University Medical Center · 2012 M.S.
Indiana University, School of Medicine · 2008 M.D.
Depauw University · 2002 B.A.