GRANT TO HELP AUSTRALIAN RESEARCHERS IMPROVE SURGERY OPTIONS

Grant to help Australian researchers improve surgery options for women with larger breast cancers

The grant will help fund a new breast cancer clinical trial called ELIMINATE which has been developed by researchers of the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZBCTG).

Women diagnosed with large oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer are often treated with chemotherapy before surgery to reduce the size of the cancer, while treatment to lower oestrogen levels is given after surgery to lower breast cancer recurrence. This new clinical trial is studying if combining chemotherapy with oestrogen lowering treatment before surgery will be more effective in shrinking the cancer which may provide the opportunity for breast conserving surgery for more women. For some women who have a good response to treatment, a mastectomy might be able to be avoided.

Associate Professor Prue Francis, one of seven ANZBCTG Chief Investigators for the ANZBCTG ELIMINATE clinical trial, says the grant announcement is tremendous news for both researchers and particularly women diagnosed with breast cancer.

“This research will answer an important question and has the potential to increase breast conserving surgery for more women diagnosed with larger tumours,” Associate Professor Francis said.

“If the idea behind this clinical trial is proven, a change in routine practice could be recommended for women with large oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer and it may pave the way for similar research for women with smaller hormone sensitive cancers who require chemotherapy after surgery.”

The ANZBCTG is Australia’s national organisation dedicated entirely to breast cancer clinical trials research. It conducts a national clinical trials research program for the treatment, prevention and cure of breast cancer. The research program involves multicentre clinical trials and collaboration with more than 80 institutions and over 600 researchers throughout Australia and New Zealand. More than 14,000 women have participated in ANZBCTG breast cancer clinical trials. The ANZBCTG’s fundraising department is the Breast Cancer Institute of Australia.

The ELIMINATE clinical trial brings together leading ANZBCTG researchers. The Chief Investigators involved in the trial are: Associate Professor Prue Francis, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; Associate Professor Nicholas Wilcken, University of Sydney; Dr Nicholas Murray, Royal Adelaide Hospital; Professor John Forbes AM, The University of Newcastle; Associate Professor Andrew Redfern, University of Western Australia, Professor Frances Boyle AM, University of Sydney; and Associate Professor Andrew Spillane, Melanoma Institute Australia and the University of Sydney.

The Associate Investigators are: Associate Professor Glenn Francis, Associate Professor Ian Campbell, Ms Petrina Burnett and Professor Val Gebski.

ELIMINATE (Estrogen Lowering Intervention May Increase NeoAdjuvant Therapy Efficacy) is a randomized phase II trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy +/- concurrent aromatase inhibitor endocrine therapy to down-stage large oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer.