EORTC celebrates Pink October: shaping the future of breast cancer care

Brussels, Belgium, 15 October 2025 — This Pink October, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) highlights the ongoing achievements of its Breast Cancer Group (BCG) and prepares for the upcoming 15^th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC15), an international multidisciplinary event since 1998.

The EORTC Breast Cancer Group is a multidisciplinary network of leading academic hospitals and experts dedicated to developing new standards of care for breast cancer patients. Recent highlights include:

• EORTC-2129 TREAT ctDNA Phase III trial: recruiting since December 2023, this international study is now active in eleven countries and has opened about two-thirds of its planned 120 sites. It aims to determine whether elacestrant can reduce distant relapses in ER+/HER2- patients with ctDNA relapse five years or more after starting endocrine therapy, by successfully screening 1,960 patients to randomise 220.
• EORTC-1745 APPALACHES: data maturity for the primary endpoint is expected by the end of 2025 for 373 randomised older patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer.
• EORTC-1408 AURORA extension: the extension phase of this molecular screening programme for metastatic breast cancer, led by BIG, has been open for recruitment since late 2023, with five EORTC sites participating.
• Secondary analyses and collaborations: the group has published results from several secondary analyses using clinical and molecular data from ongoing trials and international collaborations.
• Quality of Life research: Contributed to the development and validation of the update of the EORTC QLQ-BR23 questionnaire, now EORTC QLQ-BR42, enhancing the assessment of quality of life for breast cancer patients in clinical research.

In 2025, the BCG’s scientific leadership was further recognised with the publication of key research:

• “Machine learning-based spatial characterization of tumor-immune microenvironment in the EORTC 10994/BIG 1-00 early breast cancer trial” in npj Breast Cancer (read here)
• “An international Phase IV field study – psychometric properties of the updated module on assessing quality of life of patients with breast cancer EORTC QLQ-BR42” in The Breast (read here)

These recent publications highlight the group’s scientific advances in personalised treatment and patient quality of life in breast cancer, in addition to the studies that have already made a difference (see our full list here).

EORTC’s BCG continues its successful collaboration with EUSOMA and Europa Donna in organising the European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC). The 15^th edition (EBCC15) will take place from 25–27 March 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. This major event brings together clinicians, researchers, patients, and advocates to share the latest advances and best practices in breast cancer care in a multidisciplinary environment.
Learn more: EBCC15 Official Website.

As EORTC continues to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and improve outcomes for patients across Europe, we encourage everyone to get involved in this Pink October. By raising awareness, supporting research, or sharing stories of hope, together, we can accelerate progress and improve the lives of those affected by breast cancer.

For more information, visit EORTC Breast Cancer Group.

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, which unites clinical cancer research experts, throughout Europe, to define better treatments for cancer patients to prolong survival and improve quality of life. Spanning from translational to large, prospective, multi-centre, phase III clinical trials that evaluate new therapies and treatment strategies as well as patient quality of life, its activities are coordinated from EORTC Headquarters, a unique international clinical research infrastructure, based in Brussels, Belgium.

EORTC Communications
Caroline Moulins, Head of Communications
T: +32 2 774 13 68
E: caroline.moulins@eortc.org