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. 2023 May 23;9(1):42.
doi: 10.1038/s41523-023-00548-9.

International research to address the challenges of metastatic breast cancer: the AURORA Program (BIG 14-01)

Carmela Caballero  1 , Alexandre Irrthum  2 , Theodora Goulioti  2 , David Cameron  2   3 , Larry Norton  4 , Martine Piccart  2   5
Affiliations

International research to address the challenges of metastatic breast cancer: the AURORA Program (BIG 14-01)

Carmela Caballero et al. NPJ Breast Cancer. .

Abstract

Despite recent advances in breast cancer research, we still know little about the mechanisms that lead to metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, treatment options for patients have increased based on results of recent randomized clinical trials in this setting. Today we have much hope, yet many questions remain unanswered. Conducting a fully academic and international study such as AURORA is very challenging, yet ever more crucial to advancing knowledge about MBC.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare competing financial and non-financial interests. C.C., A.I. and T.G. have competing financial interests, as they are employed by Breast International Group (BIG), sponsor of the AURORA program. D.C. has a non-financial competing interest as the Chair of BIG and a competing financial interest since his institution is participating in AURORA with him as the principal investigator. L.N. has a financial competing interest as the Founding Scientific Director of BCRF, the primary funder of the AURORA Program. M.P. has a competing non-financial interest as the Founder and Past Chair of BIG, and one of the principal investigators of AURORA. She has a competing financial interest as the grant recipient for AURORA and her institution is participating in the program.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. A patient’s journey in the AURORA program.
This model of analyzing matched primary and metastatic samples coupled with data from prospective follow-up of patients is critical to a better understanding of metastatic breast cancer.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Key partners and committees involved in AURORA.
Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), Breast International Group (BIG), Joint Study Management Team (JSMT), BIG Headquarters (BIG HQ), Institut Jules Bordet Clinical Trials Support Unit (IJB-CTSU), Frontier Science Scotland (FSS), Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg (IBBL), European Thoracic Oncology Platform-International Breast Cancer Study Group (ETOP-IBCSG), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer Group (EORTC BCG), Grupo Español De Estudio, Tratamiento Y Otras Estrategias Experimentales En Tumores Sólidos (GRUPO SOLTI), Grupo Español de Investigación en Cáncer de Mama (GEICAM), Gruppo Oncologico Italiano di Ricerca Clinica (GOIRC), National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI), Swedish Association of Breast Oncologists (SABO), Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG), German Breast Group (GBG).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Study design of AURORA (Protocol version 4.0).
Expansion to specific populations: patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC), and those whose disease relapsed >10 years after the primary diagnosis. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), Copy Number Variation (CNV), Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), Whole genome sequencing (WGS), Estrogen receptor (ER), Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Breast cancer (BC), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), hematoxylin & eosin (H&E), formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE).
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