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Pink October at EORTC: Over 60 years of impactful breast cancer research

This Pink October, we celebrate the achievements of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in breast clinical cancer research. For over six decades, our contributions have significantly shaped the landscape of breast cancer treatment and patient care.

EORTC Breast Cancer Group

The EORTC Breast Cancer Group (BCG) comprises a network of 681 investigators from numerous hospitals in Europe. Our mission is to challenge, redefine, and develop standards of care in all areas of breast cancer diagnosis and therapy. The focus of our research is the evaluation of innovative treatments and multidisciplinary approaches to increase survival and improve quality of life of all breast cancer patients.

Innovative clinical trials

The EORTC Breast Cancer Group (BCG) has conducted numerous practice-changing clinical trials. These trials have optimised local control and improved systemic therapy for both early and metastatic breast cancer. More information on practice-changing trials here.

Focus on quality of life

One of EORTC’s priorities is the quality of life of patients affected by cancer. To this purpose, we have developed and adapted quality-of-life assessment tools, such as the EORTC QLQ-Breast Cancer Module, to better understand and improve the well-being of patients, including those with metastatic disease.

Cutting-edge research and future directions

As we move forward, EORTC continues to push the boundaries of breast clinical cancer research. Our future projects include exploring new biomarkers for early detection, developing next-generation therapies, and enhancing survivorship care.

Recent initiatives include the EORTC-2129-BCG / BIG 22-01 TREAT ctDNA: Elacestrant for ctDNA-positive ER+/HER2- breast cancer (NCT05512364) trial, which aims to identify early breast cancer patients at high risk of relapse through ctDNA detection and establish new treatment strategies to prevent distant metastasis. Other notable trials include EORTC-1408-BCG / BIG 14-01 (AURORA) aiming to understand the molecular aberrations in metastatic breast cancer, or EORTC-1811 (E²-RADIatE) (NCT03818503), an EORTC-ESTRO radiotherapy registry/platform aiming to collect real-world data of cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

Our collaboration with the Breast International Group (BIG)

EORTC’s success is built on collaboration. For more than six years, EORTC & BIG have collaborated on a series of webinars showing the importance and results of academic breast cancer research. This year’s theme, “25 years of breast cancer research: yesterday, today, tomorrow”, was chosen to mark BIG’s 25th anniversary while focusing on the broader journey of breast cancer research. The webinar, organised in partnership with the EU Health Policy Platform, took place on 16 October. You can watch the recording here.

European Breast Cancer Conferences (EBCC)

Established in 1998, the European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC) serves as a vital forum for breast cancer specialists and patients to explore multidisciplinary approaches to breast cancer care. Held biennially under the auspices of the European Breast Council, the conference is organised in collaboration with EORTC, EUSOMA and Europa Donna. The 14th edition, held in Milan in March 2024, attracted over 1,700 participants and featured more than 400 abstracts.

Conclusion

EORTC’s relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence in breast clinical cancer research has led to significant advancements in treatment and patient care. Our work continues to inspire hope and improve outcomes for breast cancer patients worldwide.

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