Director of Research Report

BCT continues to implement its research plan that was outlined as part of the overall strategic plan.

We aim to continue to develop and implement critical clinical trials to find better ways to treat breast cancer, and also to expand our work with a specific focus on aspects of supportive care for those affected by breast cancer, and efforts to find ways in which the amount of treatment recommended for those with very early breast cancer can be safely reduced.

BCT has formed two groups to assist with this expanded scope of clinical trials, being the Supportive Care and the Very Early Breast Cancer subgroups.

The Supportive Care subgroup is working to identify specific questions of importance to those experiencing breast cancer and its aftermath that are amenable to clinical trials or research projects that may lead to trials to improve these outcomes.

The Very Early Breast Cancer subgroup has recently been convened as a forum where research ideas around Stage 1 breast cancer and DCIS (the premalignant condition that may lead to breast cancer) can be presented and discussed. A wide range of ideas are under consideration which may become part of BCT’s clinical trial repertoire.

BCT implemented a Concept Development Workshop (CDW) prior to the Annual Scientific Meeting in 2019. Over the years the CDW has become a key part of BCT’s strategy where a diverse range of concepts have been presented and discussed. Some of these have been endorsed and become projects and we expect future trials to emerge from this work.

Professor Bruce Mann

BCT Director of Research