Biography


Dr. Melinda Telli is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine, Director of the Breast Cancer Program at the Stanford Cancer Institute and Associate Director of the Stanford Women's Cancer Center. Dr. Telli’s research focuses on the development of novel therapies for the treatment of triple-negative and hereditary cancer. Her work has focused on the validation of homologous recombination deficiency biomarkers to help identify patients with sporadic triple-negative breast cancer that may specifically derive benefit from DNA repair defect-targeted therapies. In addition to her involvement in the clinical development of PARP inhibitors for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation-associated cancers, she has also explored the use of ‘beyond BRCA’ DNA repair gene mutations as potential biomarkers to select patients for PARP inhibitor therapy in the advanced disease setting.

Dr. Telli received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania magna cum laude and medical degree from George Washington University with Distinction. She completed internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Stanford University, and then stayed at Stanford to pursue fellowship training in Medical Oncology. She has served on numerous American Society of Clinical Oncology Committees and currently serves as a Komen Scholar, Co-Chair of the ASCO Guideline Advisory Group, member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Breast Cancer Guideline Panel and member of the Journal of Clinical Oncology Editorial Board. Dr. Telli is the recipient of a Susan G. Komen for the Cure Translational Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (2008), American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award (2009), Susan G. Komen for the Cure Leadership Award (2015-2024), Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation Hero Award (2018), Komen SF Bay Area Visionary Award (2019), and Stanford Medicine Increasing Access to Clinical Trials Star Award (2023). She has garnered multiple teaching accolades and is a repeat recipient of the Stanford Division of Oncology Teaching Award.

Professional Summary


Education & Certifications
  • B.A., University of Pennsylvania, Biology, with Distinction (1996)
  • M.D., George Washington University, Medicine, with Distinction (2002)
  • Residency, Stanford University, Internal Medicine (2005)
  • Fellowship, Stanford University, Medical Oncology (2008)
  • Board Certification, American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (2015)
  • Board Certification, American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology (2018)
  • Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (2005)

Honors & Awards
  • Career Catalyst Research Award, Susan G. Komen for the Cure (2012)
  • Champion Award, Triple Step Toward the Cure (2015)
  • Fellowship Award, Susan G. Komen for the Cure (2008)
  • Hero Award, Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation (2018)
  • Increasing Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Star Award, Stanford Medicine (2023)
  • Komen Leadership Award, Susan G. Komen for the Cure (2015-2024)
  • Merit Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2008)
  • New Investigator Award, Stanford Cancer Institute (2011)
  • Oncology Division Teaching Award, Stanford University School of Medicine (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014)
  • San Francisco Bay Area Top Doctor, Medical Oncology, Castle Connolly (2017-2023)
  • Visionary Award, Susan G. Komen San Francisco Bay Area (2019)
  • Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2009)

Memberships
  • Program Committee, AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (2022 - Present)
  • Co-Chair, American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline Advisory Group (2021 - Present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Clinical Oncology (2017 - Present)
  • Member, NRG Oncology Breast Committee (2023 - Present)
  • Institutional PI, ECOG-ACRIN Research Group (2022 - Present)

Administrative Appointments
  • ASCO Breast Cancer Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy Guideline Adaptation Panel, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2015 - Present)
  • Associate Director, Stanford Women's Cancer Center, Stanford Cancer Institute (2020 - Present)
  • Breast Cancer Guidelines Panel, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2014 - Present)
  • Breast Cancer Maintenance of Certification Working Group, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2013 - 2014)
  • Breast Oncology Protocol Review Committee Co-Chair, Stanford Cancer Institute (2015 - 2018)
  • Director, Breast Cancer Program, Stanford Cancer Institute (2020 - Present)
  • Komen Scholar, Susan G. Komen for the Cure (2015 - Present)
  • Leader, Breast Cancer Clinical Care Program, Stanford Medicine (2020 - Present)
  • Leader, Breast Cancer Clinical Research Group, Stanford Cancer Institute (2018 - Present)
  • Medical Oncology SEP Committee, American Board of Internal Medicine (2014 - 2017)
  • Program Committee, ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium (2010 - 2013)
  • Scientific Program Committee, Triple Negative Breast Cancer/Cytotoxics/Local Therapy, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2010 - 2013)
  • Scientific Review Committee, Stanford Cancer Institute (2016 - Present)

Publications

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.

Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.


Specializing In

Practice Locations


Breast Cancer Program in Palo Alto Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, CA

900 Blake Wilbur Drive, 1st Floor

Palo Alto , CA 94304

(650) 498-6000

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Stanford Women's Cancer Center Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, CA

900 Blake Wilbur Drive, 1st Floor

Palo Alto , CA 94304

(650) 498-6000

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Patient Ratings

(67 Ratings)

Overall Rating
4.9/5

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5.0/5
Friendliness
Friendliness/courtesy of the care provider
4.9/5
Explanations
Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition
4.9/5
Listens
Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries
4.9/5
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your care
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your treatment
4.9/5
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The Patients Ratings and comments are gathered from our Patient Satisfaction Survey and displayed in their entirety.

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Patient Reviews

(171 reviews)

I left the meeting with Dr. Telli energized, feeling confident and looking forward to a superior team experience as I fight cancer. She spent a thoughtful amount of time going over my unique circumstances and giving proactive commentary of future benefits I could participate in as well as confidence in my current trajectory.
Very good Doctor very friendly
Dr Melinda Telli and her staff are the best!
Thanks again for taking the time. It was very helpful
Compassionate, caring, expert, gave information about future trials, shared my joy at the good scan
Melinda Telli is very thorough and listens to her patients concerns
Excellent
Melinda is brilliant, and at the cutting edge of the new protocols in the cancer teatment I am recieving. I am very grateful to have met her through a referral from a Nurse at Dominican Out Patient Oncology Unit in Santa Cruz. I totally think she understands the harshness of Chemo and felt comfortable making a plan that will treat the cancer and support me as a patient. TY DR Melinda Telli
She came exceptionally prepared re: my med history and wanted more! I was impressed and was grateful for her time.
Dr. Telli is a great doctor.
It was just a check in and we will follow it up as test results come in
she is very nice and helpful
Dr. Telli and her colleague were great once I got to see them but it was over an hour wait.
Excellent explanations and very empathtoc
Dr. Telli was very informative and was familiar with my healthcare. She is very personable and explained things without going too fast. I felt very good after our appointment.
Every step of this process was thorough and well-communicated. I felt very well taken care of.
Excellent listener and very caring, lovely bed side manner. A fantastic doctor!
The quality of the medicine practiced by Dr. Telli and her team is greatly appreciated. They take the time and put in a real effort to educate and reassure me.
From the moment I met her, I felt that is was in excellent hands. Dr. Telli's reputation precedes her, but in addition to expertise she is also very caring and sensitive to her patients needs.
Outstanding!
I think she is a great doctor. So easy to talk to and feel very relax.
Thanks to take the time to see me
Dr. Telli was very informative, answered all questions, and has a personable demeanor.
I was thrilled to see my oncologist once again
I love her. So patient and kind and very clear.
Dr Telli's expertise and kind encouragement were invaluable
Dr Telli is awesomely wonderful.
I really appreciated Dr. Telli's thoughtful insights about my case and potential treatment options, pending further data. She was compassionate and also pointed out resources that could provide psychological / emotional support when dealing with a new diagnosis, which sound helpful.
Dr Telli is a wonderful doctor. She always takes the time to explain things and is very caring
As a doctor I only consulted with, I felt she cared about my case and my health and made herself available for follow up. I am so grateful I found her and I highly value her opinion and recommendations for my treatment and care.
Dr. Telli was most helpful and, above all, she spoke slowly and distinctly as she described my cancerous breast and the likely treatment. I appreciated her mentioning I could call her back with questions if they arise.
Dr. Telli is the very best. She is calm, patient and very knowledgeable. Although I often have to wait some time to see her, she is well worth the wait. She does not rush me. I feel I have her undivided attention. During in office visits she is so very gentle. She has a touch like a butterfly. I feel so very fortunate to have her for my doctor.
I have been well pleased with my cancer treatment at Stanford. Dr. Telli and her team have certainly made my experience with cancer a positive one~so much care and compassion with every appointment .
terrific doctor
Telli is wonderful, truly amazing combination of smart and kind. She also goes out of her way to teach her patients what is going on, which I've never had before (and I've met many oncologists). She has wonderful bedside manner and she's brilliant
Although I was initially disturbed by not knowing what to do about the timing, The wait was very much worth it. When Dr Telli called It was more than worth the wait. Her information was very clear. She addressed all my concerns and suggested a path forward that was very comfortable for me. I am very very grateful that she made the time to talk to me. It was not rushed and even though she was extremely busy I felt I had her full attention. I also wish to compliment her associate(I'm sorry I forgot her name) that got our visit started. She also took her time with me. Overall if you could somehow sort out the process issues when an appointment is delayed everything is perfect. Excellent experience !!
Dr Telli is the best.
Dr. Telli is wonderful, caring and compassionate.
Very helpful and professional
She is the very best--cream of the crop. I feel so blessed to have her as my oncologist. She has a wonderful way with patients. She is very kind, patient and attentive. I trust her implicitly. Although I have to wait sometimes for her, the wait is well worth it. Did I make it clear that she is the very best!?!
Melinda Telli is so knowledgeable and while I watched her present in Texas to other doctors and didn’t understand a lot of what they were saying, she was able to break down her recommendation for my treatment in words I could understand. I am so thankful for Dr. Telli’s advice and help with my treatment!
Only one comment. She is an outstanding physician and communicator.
Dr. Telli is the best!
Dr Telli is a brilliant and compassionate breast oncologist. I'm very grateful to have her leading my care!!!
Dr. Telli needs a bonus! So does Stanford Cancer Center. I am an experienced healthcare provider with high expectations. This team has exceeded all my expectations for care. I have told Dr. Telli this. She is an asset to Stanford Medicine and truly cares for and about her patients. A passion for what she does. Rare to find in a lot of physicians these days. I feel fortunate to have had her during a journey I did not expect to be on. STANFORD should do everything in their power to retain her and her staff for years to come. A great physician and beautiful human being.
Dr. Telli was personable, clearly explained everything, and was efficient with the time we had together. I'm very grateful I was able to consult with her.
Dr Telli is excellent. I have full confidence in her care and my plan moving forward.
She was very personable, took her time explaining things and answered all of my questions to my satisfaction.
Dr Telli is amazing!
I recommend stanford every opportunity i have
I very highly recommend Dr Telli! She is my hero!
Dr. Telli is fabulous.
Dr. Telli is a very caring doctor and has very good bedside manner.
Dr. Telli is the best!
Dr. Telli has been wonderful. While I would like to not have to recommend her but if I had any friend or family member who needs to see an oncologist I would recommend her without hesitation.
Dr. Telli is an excellent doctor. I am so glad to have her as my oncologist!
Dr. Telli is a very good and caring physician. She has never rushed me and always answers my questions. I highly recommend her.
Melinda Telli is great caring, thorough and easy to talk to.
Dr. Telli is incredibly caring & warm. She listens well & is thorough on her examination & explanations.
Dr. Telli is so calm, friendly & warm, even when very busy, she spends the time needed. Remembers me when I come in, so knowledgeable. I travel from out of state to see her & it is well worth it!
Dr. Telli is fabulous!
These ratings are for Dr. Melinda Telli.
Dr. Telli is wonderful. Very knowledgeable & caring. I have utmost confidence in her.
Dr. Telli is amazing. Her knowledge of the latest cancer research, her attention to detail saved my life. I love Dr. T.
Very thorough. Very patient with my questions. Very knowledgeable. I travel far to see her but it is worth it.
Dr. Telli is kind, caring, and takes time to address all issues. I travel from out of state to see her and it is well worth it.
Dr. Telli is fabulous! I feel she genuinely cares about me.
Dr. Telli is remarkable. I would describe her as a "Stanford Brilliant." She is a master at her craft.
Dr. Telli is an excellent doctor with great bedside manner. I am very lucky she is my doctor.
The provider was calm, respectful, & informative. She was very clear explaining options to me. I didn't feel rushed & believe she gave me her utmost attention.
Very nice care, loving kindness, willing to listen. Patiently explain.
Dr. Telli and Kiran were an excellent team. They were both compassionate, respectful and extremely competent. I have never been more pleased with a medical appointment. I felt listened to, and they had innovative therapy for me to try. They spent plenty of unhurried time with me. Excellent appointment!
I highly recommend Dr. Telli & Erin (PA). They are both awesome.
Dr. Telli and her staff are amazing. They made us feel like people not a number. She spent time with us and explained things in a way we could understand.
Dr. Telli is the best!
I was extremely impressed with the patience, care, and genuine attentiveness that Dr. Telli showed during my appointment. This is especially true since she entered my room around 7 p.m. and stayed for an hour, and I'm sure she had already had a long, busy day.
Dr. Telli is an excellent physician.
Dr. Telli is a VERY caring genuine professional. Makes you feel very comfortable explains thing very clearly so I understand it.
Dr. Telli is very knowledgeable & compassionate. I feel confident w/her.
Dr. Telli is a great doctor with a very good bedside manner. I highly recommend her.
Dr. Telli was head and shoulders better than any of the other 3 oncologists I have met with.
Really appreciate how thorough Dr. Telli is. So knowledgeable as well.
Dr. Telli is extremely caring and present during my appointment(s). I have the utmost confidence in her!! Thank you for your excellence in all areas, Dr. Telli!
Dr. Telli is excellent.
Dr. Telli is fabulous.
Dr. Telli was amazing, every thing I had hoped for and more. I left her office with valuable information & hope. PA Erin was also awesome. So thankful for my Stanford visit.
Doc was wonderful, very informative.
Both Dr. Telli & NP were thorough, friendly, & informative.
I love Dr. Telli she is the absolute BEST!!
I love Melinda Telli and Jessica Foran. The CARE they show for me is unbelievable.
Everyone is so nice. Friendly and professional.
Dr. Telli was not only personable but thorough.
Dr. Telli always takes good care of me. She has very good bedside manner. She's a great doctor.
I had an excellent team of care providers at Stanford.
I'm so happy having Dr. Telli as my breast oncologist cause she's so compassionate & understanding with untiring efforts to heal me with her patience that helps me continue with my fight against cancer. My appreciation & eternal gratitude to her! Thanks very much.
I appreciated the amount of information given to me. Almost all my questions were answered before I asked them.
Dr. Telli and team were very attentive explained everything in detail and made me feel comfortable.
Dr. Telli is amazing! Could not have asked for any better care.
Dr. Telli is an excellent care provider.
Dr. Telli is a gem. I feel blessed to have her on my team.
Best physician I have ever had.
Dr. Telli is a very good doctor with a very caring bed-side manner. I highly recommend her.
Excellent provider but needed to wait 2 hrs. for visit.
Jessica Foran and Melinda Telli are superlative givers of care. I cannot express how positively they have both impacted my life during and post cancer treatment.
Dr. Telli was so thorough & professional. She took her time and answered all my questions. She was able to provide studies to reinforce her recommendations for my care.
I love the dr.!!!
Excellent care in explaining options that were easy to understand and explaining details and status of my prognosis.
Excellent physician!
Dr. Telli is professional, warm, and caring - an IDEAL care provider!
Have always had good experiences/contacts at this facility.
Dr. Telli, Josh and Pei-ter are a great and compassionate team.
Dr. Telli is the best physician - she explained - everything thoroughly and was very patient.
Dr. Telli provides reassurance and is very knowledgeable on treatment of breast cancer.
Dr. Telli is the most compassionate and kind doctor I have ever met.
Dr. Melinda Telli is a saint - no, really!!
They make me feel confident in asking about any concern I have.
Dr. Telli is a fantastic doctor. She has a very good bedside manner and very caring.
Love Dr. Telli!
Very caring, outstanding doctor.
Thanks to these doctors, this place and their care I'm still alive. Thank you.
I needed to discuss doctor's recommendation in more detail and to ask several significant questions. The follow-up by doctor after the appt. was poor.
Dr. Telli always provides a complete evaluation, not just related to the purpose of the visit. She is the perfect blend of the art and science of medicine.
Dr. Telli is great!
Explained things very clearly. Drew diagrams to explain.
Dr. Telli is a truly wonderful physician. She has genuine care and concern and we are very grateful to be in her care.
Dr. Telli is wonderful and her fellow is equally as talented.
Dr. Telli very compassionate & kind. Very thorough.
Dr. Telli is excellent, as are Greg (her intern) Larissa & Kiran. All very good at explaining my diagnosis, medications & what to expect!
Good.
Dr Telli and staff are wonderful. Well worth the drive from Reno!
Exceptionally high level of compassion; provided a very clear rationale for next steps in my medical care.
Dr. Telli is technically an excellent oncologist, but the human side of her approach puts her in a completely different class of other doctor's I've encountered. She is truly spectacular.
Dr. Telli and her associate spent a good deal of time w/ me in examination, analysis and preparation of a Tx. plan, and later in their explanations of this plan. I had a very good experience w/ Dr. Telli and her team.
Dr. Telli and Larissa are the best. My husband felt so well informed & supported he said he wish that he had had a tape of the conversation.
Dr. Telli is professional, caring. Very happy to have her on my corner.
Dr. Telli is by far the finest doc. I have ever dealt with as cared for by heaps of empathy and delightful person! I have considerable experience with Stanford across several disciplines - She is THE BEST.
I love Dr. Telli - she saved my life.
Dr. Telli is great. She also has a wonderful touch. We (my husband comes with) travel quite a ways to see her.
I have much confidence in Doctor Telli, Melinda because she doesn't leave me without treatment.
These "very good" are all true. Dr.Waprin & Dr.Telli & their staff were terrific.
Dr Telli is fantastic care provider. I highly recommend her and thankful to have her as my Oncologist after a long search.
Extremely informative & pleasant -
Dr. Telli excellent.
Both Dr. Telli and Dr. Afghahi are helpful and willing to discuss any questions I have. I am in a clinic trial with them but wish I were able to transfer all of my care. However, distant makes that impossible.
Dr. Telli is an amazing doctor!! I can't say enough good about her.
Wonderful experience.
This was the first time I had met Dr. Telli. I found her to be very knowledgeable, professional, caring, intelligent, clear and pleasant to deal with.
I feel comfortable and I have trust in Dr. Telli, which gives me peace of mind.
My team take very good care of me.
Extremely pleased with Dr. Telli & Stanford on the whole.
Dr. Telli is amazing. So professional, yet compassionate and encouraging.
Dr. Melinda Telli has just the right balance of intelligent, specific knowledge and the ability to convey it in terms we could understand. Great "bedside" manner. TOTALLY professional.
I always feel fully satisfied that I have been completely understood & given excellent treatment.
Excellent Dr. Telli is the BEST.
Dr. Telli is what every Dr. should be. She is wonderful.
Dr. Telli is an excellent care provider, very knowledgeable, up-to-date, caring, easy to understand.
She is my life line to emotional and health care.
Dr. Telli is very kind, informative and empathetic. She has an excellent bedside manner.
Dr. Telli should be cloned - all drs. should be her. She is wonderful!
Good experience.
Dr. Telli was wonderful. I came to her for a second opinion and she was much more helpful than my regular doctor.
Dr. Melinda Telli is exceptional. I would never go back to my previous oncologist. I totally trust her & think she's an outstanding doctor.
Dr. Telli is an amazing listener, a warm & engaging person, & solution-focused.
Dr. Telli made decision for treatment & explained why.
Dr. Telli spent quality time with me and covered all my concerns. I felt very comforted by her manner and knowledge.
My provider is great!! Always makes me feel I am HER main concern - And my total well being - Not just the cancer.
Dr. Telli is everything we hoped for & more.
I love Melinda Telli and all of her staff -- She is a very compassionate doctor & spends a great deal of time w/me.
Both the PA & Dr. Telli were very clean & helpful in explaining options to me.
Dr. Telli and her staff are the best!
Very good.

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