World Cancer Day: How clinical cancer research changes lives

For more than 60 years, EORTC has pursued a simple mission: improving the lives of people with cancer through independent, international research. This World Cancer Day, we reflect on what that mission has delivered in real terms: clinical practice shaped by robust evidence, treatments improved or replaced to reduce unnecessary toxicity, and care decisions guided not by tradition, but by what is proven to benefit patients.

Why clinical cancer studies matter

Clinical cancer studies are the backbone of progress in oncology. They are prospective studies designed to deepen our understanding of cancer biology and to test new ways of treating patients. Every improvement in cancer care, every new therapy, every more effective use of surgery, radiotherapy, or systemic treatment comes from well‑designed clinical research. Studies help answer the most important questions: Does this treatment work? For whom does it work best? How does it affect survival and quality of life?

Since 1962, EORTC has enrolled around 220,000 patients into independent clinical studies across tumour types. Many of these studies have changed practice worldwide, informing international guidelines and delivering life‑changing results. EORTC study protocols are now used across Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere, demonstrating the global reach of academic, non‑commercial research. These studies do more than advance science: they improve the lives of patients and families while saving healthcare systems millions, all without any commercial interest at stake.

Practice‑changing research in action: The MINDACT story

To mark World Cancer Day, we highlight a short video featuring Betty, a breast cancer survivor, and Prof. Martine Piccart, who share their perspectives on how the MINDACT study changed Betty’s treatment journey—and that of thousands of patients around the world. Their insights demonstrate the power of practice‑changing clinical studies.

After her diagnosis in 2009, Betty joined MINDACT, an EORTC‑led academic study exploring whether genomic testing could identify women who could safely avoid chemotherapy. According to traditional clinical assessments, she should have received it. But MINDACT evaluated her tumour biology differently and showed she didn’t need chemotherapy to remain safely treated.

“Normally, I should have had chemotherapy,” Betty recalls, “but the study proposed not to do it.”

Avoiding chemotherapy spared her months of difficult side effects. And her individual story represents something much larger: MINDACT helped change international treatment guidelines, reducing overtreatment for thousands of women while maintaining excellent outcomes.

This is practice‑changing research: studies that directly shape how care is delivered, influence global standards, and bring real improvements to patients’ daily lives.

Looking forward: Expanding horizons worldwide

EORTC constantly pushes forward the standards of care. Today, researchers, clinicians, and patient representatives across regions and disciplines are working together to design the next generation of practice‑changing studies that redefine treatments, reduce unnecessary toxicity, and ensure progress benefits all patients, including those with rare or understudied cancers.

“Current regulatory frameworks, whether sector‑specific or not, often fail to reflect the realities of public‑health‑oriented clinical studies. For independent research to thrive, we must navigate this growing complexity and build global coalitions that defend its value for patients, clinicians, and society,” says Dr Denis Lacombe, EORTC CEO.

This global perspective will guide EORTC as it strengthens collaborations worldwide and continues shaping the future of cancer research.

This World Cancer Day, we invite you to share Betty’s story across your platforms and help raise awareness of the vital role clinical cancer research plays in improving patients’ lives.

To discover how EORTC research has transformed cancer care over more than six decades, visit our EORTC Impact page. There, you’ll find the studies, breakthroughs, and stories that continue to shape better outcomes for patients worldwide.