Three out of four breast cancer cases are hormone receptor-positive (HR+), meaning the cancer grows in response to hormones like estrogen. Most of these cancers can be treated with hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or newer drugs called CDK4/6 inhibitors, which help stop the cancer from growing.

However, not all HR+ breast cancers respond the same way. A more aggressive group called HER2-enriched (HER2-E)—which affects about 1 in 5 women with HR+ breast cancer—often resists CDK4/6 treatment and has a poorer prognosis.

This project focuses on understanding why some HR+ breast cancers become resistant to treatment. By studying around 200 tumor samples and using advanced lab models, researchers hope to find better ways to treat these harder-to-treat cancers.

The goal is to identify the biological mechanisms that cause resistance, and develop new therapies to treat these cancers more effectively. These findings will help design future clinical trials and bring better treatment options to improve the chances of recovery for all women with HR+ breast cancer.

In France, 60.000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year, the most common type among women. Although the risk of breast cancer increases significantly with age, women over 70 years old continue to be largely underrepresented in clinical trials and biomedical research.

This lack of specific data often leads to therapeutic decisions being made based on criteria that are not well adapted to the needs of this group of patients, with the risk of insufficient or, conversely, too aggressive treatment. This is a worrying reality in an aging society, which urgently needs to adapt its medical protocols to the diversity of its patients.

With the aim of reducing this gap in medical knowledge, Dr. Étienne Brain is working on the project “Better guider le choix de la chimiothérapie chez les femmes de plus de 70 ans”. This project aims to explore the biology of tumours in 1,000 women over the age of 70, whether or not they have been treated with chemotherapy, who participated in the ASTER 70s clinical study.

Its objective is to identify patients for whom chemotherapy would be effective without affecting their quality of life and to offer appropriate treatments to others.

Belgium leads Europe in breast cancer incidence, yet many promising local research projects struggle to move forward due to a lack of early-stage funding. The SMART Fund was created to fill this gap by fast-tracking high-impact studies that move new diagnostics, treatments, and aftercare solutions quickly from the lab to clinical testing.

By focusing specifically on proof-of-concept and pilot trials, SMART ensures that the most promising innovations receive real-world evaluation much sooner than through traditional grant cycles.

Since its launch in 2018, the fund has invested over €5 million in more than 30 Belgian projects, accelerating breakthroughs that benefit hundreds of thousands of women nationwide.

Each year, the SMART Fund opens a call for proposals in the fields of prevention, early detection, treatment, or aftercare. Submitted projects are rigorously reviewed by a multidisciplinary scientific committee made up of oncologists, surgeons, statisticians, and patient advocates, ensuring only the most promising ideas receive support.

This organization dedicated to breast cancer, plays a central role in the fight against this disease in the Netherlands.

It funds research, supports projects, and is committed to raising awareness and improving breast cancer care. The organizaton ensures that all their investments lead to concrete progress in prevention, early detection, better treatments, and an improved quality of life for patients.

With breast cancer as its spearhead, Pink Ribbon supports a wide range of initiatives: from screening technology and biomarker development to innovative therapies and aftercare. This work strengthens the scientific foundation for healthcare providers and helps shape policy, prevention, and patient care in the Netherlands.