Berta Geller, Ed.D.

Research Professor of Family Medicine and Radiology

Research Program: Cancer Prevention & Control
VCC Membership Level: Member Scientist

Contact Information

Office of Health Promotion Research
1 South Prospect Street
UHC
Burlington, VT 05401

ph: (802) 656-4115
f: (802) 656-8826
Berta.Geller@uvm.edu

Biography

Dr. Geller completed her doctoral studies in educational administration in 1992 at the University of Vermont. She is currently the principal investigator of the Vermont Breast Cancer Surveillance System, a cooperative agreement with the National Cancer Institute. In addition to her research activities, Dr. Geller is the chair of the UVM Committee on Human Research in the Behavioral Sciences. She was one of the founders of the Vermont Women's Health Center and currently chairs the board of directors for Healing Legacies, a non-profit organization dedicated to art and writing by women who have faced breast cancer.

Geller was named the 2008 J. Walter Juckett Scholar. This is a two-year, $75,000 award given to an investigator who has a demonstrated record of sustained productivity in cancer research. This award is funded by the Lake Champlain Cancer Research Organization (LCCRO).

Research

Dr. Geller is involved in numerous public health research activities. With respect to cancer, her primary focus is on breast cancer, but she also works in the areas of smoking prevention and cessation, and screening for colorectal and skin cancer.

Under Dr. Geller's leadership, the Vermont Mammography Registry (VMR) was founded in 1993 and remains today as the first and only statewide mammography registry. In 1995, the VMR expanded to become the Vermont Breast Cancer Surveillance System (VBCSS) and part of the national Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC). Today, Dr. Geller is the principal investigator for the VBCSS project.

The abundance of good data available from the registry provides Geller and colleagues with a foundation for many research projects of both regional and national scope. Currently, Geller and the VBCSS are collecting data on risk factors and health history related to breast cancer as well as radiologic information on every mammogram and breast ultrasound performed in Vermont. The main objectives for Dr. Geller's project are to provide quality assurance feedback to physicians, conduct research on the efficacy of mammography, compare VBCSS data with data collected by the Vermont Cancer Registry, and determine how to improve access to mammography through public education.

Dr. Geller's latest work builds on her current National Institutes of Health-funded work, she will explore the unmet social support needs of cancer survivors, with the ultimate goal of laying the groundwork for future studies on cancer survivorship and survivor peer social support. Dr. Geller's current project aims to develop an infrastructure for collecting data about cancer survivors in four counties in Vermont. Specifically, Dr. Geller will be using hospital cancer registries to identify and contact survivors in order to offer them opportunities for both receiving social support and training to serve as volunteer peer support providers.

Recent Publications

Geller BM, Bowles EA, Sohng HY, Brenner RJ, Miglioretti DL, Carney PA, Elmore JG. Radiologists' performance and their enjoyment of interpreting screening mammograms. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2009 Feb;192(2):361-9.

Hofvind S, Geller BM, Skanne P. Radiological features and histopathogical findings of interval breast cancers. Acta Radiol. 2008 Sep 10;:1-7.

Hofvind S, Vacek PM, Skelly J, Weaver D, Geller BM. Comparing screening mammography for early breast cancer detection in Vermont and Norway. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008 Aug 6;100(15):1082-91.

Geller BM, Skelly JM, Dorwaldt AL, Howe KD, Dana GS, Flynn BS. Increasing Patient / Provider Communications about Colorectal Cancer Screening In Rural Primary Care Practices. Med Care. 2008 Sep;46(9 Suppl 1):S36-43.

Smith-Bindman R, Miglioretti DL, Rosenberg R, Reid RJ, Taplin SH, Geller BM, Kerlikowske K. Physician Workload in Mammography. Am J Roentgenol. 2008; 190:526-532

MacKenzie TA, Titus-Ernstoff L, M Vacek PM, Geller BM, Weiss JE, Goodrich ME, Carney PA. Breast Density in Relation to Risk of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast in Women Undergoing Screening Mammography. Cancer Causes Control.2007 Nov;18(9):939-45.

Hofvind S, Geller BM, Vacek PM, Thresen S, Skaane P. Using the European Guidelines to Evaluate the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. Eur J Epidemiol. 2007;22(7):447-55.

Reiner K, Vacek PM, Geller BM. Risk factors for breast carcinoma in situ vs. invasive breast cancer in a prospective study of pre- and postmenopausal women. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007 Jul;103(3):343-8.

Carney PA, Abraham LA, Miglioretti DL, Yabroff KR, Sickles EA, Buist DS, Kasales CJ, Geller BM, Rosenberg RD, Dignan MB, Weaver DL, Kerlikowske K. Factors associated with imaging and procedural events used to detect breast cancer after screening mammography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2007;188(2):385-392.

Haas JS, Miglioretti DL, Geller BM, Buist DSM, Nelson DE, Kerlikowske K, Carney PA, Dash S, Breslau ES, Ballard-Barbash R. Exposure to Newspaper Coverage about the Potential Harmful Effects of Hormone Therapy following the Women's Health Initiative and Changes in Use. J Gen Intern Med. 22(1):68-73, 2007.

Geller BM, Zapka J, Hofvind SS, Scharpantgen A, Giordano L, Ohuchi N, Ballard-Barbash R. Communicating with Women About Mammography. J Cancer Educ.;22(1):25-31, 2007.

Rosenberg RD, Yankaskas BC, Abraham L, Sickles EA, Lehman C, Geller BM, Carney PA,Kerlikowske K, Buist D,Weaver D, Barlow WE, Rachel Ballard-Barbash R. Benchmarks for Screening Mammography. Radiology. 241(1):55-66, 2006

Geller BM, Ichikawa LE, Buist DSM, Sickles E, Carney PA, Yankaskas BC, Dignan M, Kerlikowske K, Yabroff KR, Barlow W, Rosenberg, R. Improving concordance of mammography assessment and management recommendations. Radiology. 241(1):67-75, 2006

Barlow WE, White E, Ballard-Barbash R, Vacek PM, Titus-Ernstoff L, Carney PA, Tice JA, Buist DS, Geller BM, Rosenberg R, Yankaskas BC, Kerlikowske K. Prospective breast cancer risk prediction model for women undergoing screening mammography. J Natl Cancer Inst. Sep 6;98(17):1204-14, 2006

Zapka JG, Geller BM, Ballard-Barbash R, Bulliard JL, Sancho-Garnier H, Fracheboud J. Print Information to Inform Decisions about Mammography Screening Participation in 16 Countries with Population-Based Programs, Patient Educ Counsel Oct;63(1-2):126-37, 2006.

Haas, JS, Geller BM, Miglioretti DL, Buist DSM, Nelson DE, Kerlikowske K, Carney PA, Breslau ES, Dash S, Canales MK, Ballard-Barbash R, Changes in Newspaper Coverage About Hormone Therapy with the Release of New Medical Evidence, J Gen Intern Med. 21(4):304-9, 2006.

Weaver DL, Rosenberg RD, Barlow WE, Ichikawa L, Carney PA, Kerlikowske K, Buist DS, Geller BM, Key CR, Maygarden SJ, Ballard-Barbash R. Pathologic findings from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium: population-based outcomes in women undergoing biopsy after screening mammography.Cancer. 106(4):732-42, 2006.

Cronin KA, Yu B, Krapcho M, Miglioretti DL, Fay MP, Izmirlian G, Ballard-Barbash R, Geller BM, Feuer EJ. Modeling the dissemination of mammography in the United States. Cancer Causes and Control. 16(6):701-712, 2005.

Geller BM, Vacek PM. Skelly J, Harvey SC: Increased specificity and decreased sensitivity in screening mammography with the use of additional imaging. J Clin Epidemiology. 58(9): 942-950, 2005.

Weaver DL, Vacek PM, Skelly JM, Geller BM. Predicting biopsy outcome after mammography: What is the likelihood the patient has breast cancer? Annals of Surgical Oncology 12(8):1-14, 2005.

Smith-Bindman R, Chu P, Quale C, Miglioretti D, Rosenberg RD, Cutter G, Geller BM, Bacchettii P, Sickles EA, Kerlikowske K. Physician predictors of mammographic accuracy. J Natl Cancer Inst Mar 2;97(5):358-67, 2005.

Sickles EA, Miglioretti DL, Ballard-Barbash R, Geller BM, Leung JWT, Rosenberg RD, Smith-Bindman R, Yankaskas BC. Benchmarks for diagnostic mammography. Radiology 235:775-790, 2005.

Kerlikowske K, Smith-Bindman R, Abraham L, Lehman C, Yankaskas BC, Ballard-Barbash R, Barlow WE, Voeks J, Geller BM, Carney PA, Sickles EA: breast cancer yield for examinations recommended for short interval follow-up after screening mammography views only versus after full diagnostic imaging work-up. Radiology 234(3):684-92, 2005.

Yankaskas BC, Taplin SH, Ichikawa L, Geller BM, Rosenberg RD, Carney PA, Kerlikowske K, Ballard-Barbash R, Cutter G, Barlow WE: Association between timing and measures of screening performance in the U.S. Radiology 234:363-373, 2005.

Other Key Publications

White E, Miglioretti DL, Yankaskas BC, Geller BM, Rosenberg RD, Kerlikowske K, Saba L, Vacek PM, Carney PA, Buist DS, Oestreicher N, Barlow W, Ballard-Barbash R, Taplin SH. Biennial versus annual mammography and the risk of late-stage breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004 Dec 15 96(24), 1832-9.

Miglioretti DL, Rutter CM, Geller BM, Cutter G, Barlow WE, Rosenberg R, Weaver DL, Taplin SH, Ballard-Barbash R, Carney PA, Yankaskas BC, Kerlikowske K. Effect of breast augmentation on the accuracy of mammography and cancer characteristics. JAMA. 2004 Jan 28;291(4):442-50.

Kerlikowske K, Miglioretti DL, Ballard-Barbash R, Weaver DL, Buist DS, Barlow WE, Cutter G, Geller BM, Yankaskas B, Taplin SH, Carney PA. Prognostic characteristics of breast cancer among postmenopausal hormone users in a screened population. J Clin Oncol. 2003 Dec 1;21(23):4314-21.

Harvey SC, Geller B, Oppenheimer RG, Pinet M, Riddell L, Garra B. Increase in cancer detection and recall rates with independent double interpretation of screening mammography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2003 May 180(5), 1461-7.

Geller BM, Kerlikowske K, Carney PA, Abraham LA, Yankaskas BC, Taplin SH, Ballard-Barbash R, Dignan MB, Rosenberg R, Urban N, Barlow WE. Mammography surveillance following breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2003 Sep;81(2):107-15.

Pinckney RG, Geller BM, Burman M, Littenberg B. Effect of false-positive mammograms on return for subsequent screening mammography. Am J Med. 2003 Feb 1;114(2):120-5.

Carney PA, Miglioretti DL, Yankaskas BC, Kerlikowske K, Rosenberg R, Rutter CM, Geller BM, Abraham LA, Taplin SH, Dignan M, Cutter G, Ballard-Barbash R. Individual and combined effects of age, breast density, and hormone replacement therapy use on the accuracy of screening mammography. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Feb 4;138(3):168-75. Erratum in: Ann Intern Med. 2003 May 6;138(9):771.

Worden JK, Mickey RM, Vacek PM, Flynn BS, Solomon LJ, Secker-Walker RH, Skelly JM, Danigelis NL, Geller BM, Warner SL, Clark RA, Foster RS, Vezina JL, Hooper G. Evaluation of a community breast screening promotion program. Prev Med. 2002 Oct;35(4):349-61.

Ernster VL, Ballard-Barbash R, Barlow WE, Zheng Y, Weaver DL, Cutter G, Yankaskas BC, Rosenberg R, Carney PA, Kerlikowske K, Taplin SH, Urban N, Geller BM. Detection of ductal carcinoma in situ in women undergoing screening mammography. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2002 Oct 16;94(20):1546-54.

Barlow WE, Lehman CD, Zheng Y, Ballard-Barbash R, Yankaskas BC, Cutter GR, Carney PA, Geller BM, Rosenberg R, Kerlikowske K, Weaver DL, Taplin SH. Performance of diagnostic mammography for women with signs or symptoms of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2002 Aug 7;94(15):1151-9.

Vacek PM, Geller BM, Weaver DL, Foster RS Jr. Increased mammography use and its impact on earlier breast cancer detection in Vermont, 1975-1999. Cancer. 2002 Apr 15;94(8):2160-8.

Geller BM, Barlow WE, Ballard-Barbash R, Ernster VL, Yankaskas BC, Sickles EA, Carney PA, Dignan MB, Rosenberg RD, Urban N, Zheng Y, Taplin SH. Use of the American College of Radiology BI-RADS to report on the mammographic evaluation of women with signs and symptoms of breast disease. Radiology. 2002 Feb;222(2):536-42.

Taplin SH, Ichikawa LE, Kerlikowske K, Ernster VL, Rosenberg RD, Yankaskas BC, Carney PA, Geller BM, Urban N, Dignan MB, Barlow WE, Ballard-Barbash R, Sickles EA. Concordance of breast imaging reporting and data system assessments and management recommendations in screening mammography. Radiology. 2002 Feb;222(2):529-35.

Lam PB, Vacek PM, Geller BM, Muss HB. The association of increased weight, body mass index, and tissue density with the risk of breast carcinoma in Vermont. Cancer. 2000 Jul 15; 89(2): 369-75.

Carney PA, Geller BM, Moffett H, Ganger M, Sewell M, Barlow WE, Burgess K, Stalnaker N, Taplin SH, Sisk C, Ernster VL, Wilkie HA, Yankaskas B, Poplack SP, Urban N, West MM, Rosenberg RD, Michael S, Ballard-Barbash R: Medico-legal and protective policies and procedures for data integrity and confidentiality in a large multi-center research program: The National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. American Journal of Epidemiology 152(4):371-378, 2000.

Ballard-Barbash R, Taplin SH, Yankaskas BC, Ernster VL, Rosenberg RD, Carney PA, Barlow WE, Geller BM, Kerlikowske K, Edwards BK, Lynch CF, Urban N, Chrvala CA, Key CR, Poplack SP, Worden JK, Kessler LG: A national mammography screening and outcomes database. AJR 169:1001-1008, 1997.

Clark R, Geller BM, Peluso N, McVety D, Worden JK: Development of a community mammography registry: The experience of the breast screening program project. Radiology 196(3):811-815, 1995.