Breast cancer research

Research is an essential part of medical care. It is how we make new discoveries and change treatments for future patients to improve outcomes. There may be studies currently being undertaken that you are eligible for as part of your breast cancer treatment. Please ask your surgeon if you are interested in being involved.

Research trials open for recruitment

Click the headings below to find out about the current research trials open for recruitment at our Breast Care Unit.

  • Local principle investigator: Louise Merker
  • Local sub-investigator: Donna Egbeare
  • Research nurse: Claire Stringer

This is a research study for post-menopausal women with oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer who require surgery.

Breast cancer that is oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) uses the female hormone oestrogen to grow and survive. Endocrine therapy with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) stops the body making oestrogen. This starves tumours of this hormone.

Endocrine therapy is an extremely successful treatment, especially for strongly ER+ breast cancer.

Treatment for ER+ breast cancer includes both endocrine therapy and surgery. Some women may also need radiotherapy. Some women may be given endocrine therapy before surgery to reduce the size of the cancer. This treatment is recognised in health care guidelines both nationally and internationally.

This research aims to understand if this treatment option leads to a smaller operation and better recovery. This will help us to see if this will benefit more women in the future.

Further information is available on the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences’ EndoNET Study page.

This trial seeks to reduce the burden of toxicity and NHS cost of treating HER2-positive (HER2+) early breast cancer (EBC) by testing the hypothesis that for certain patients systemic anti-cancer therapy can be adapted (reduced) without loss of efficacy, based on histopathological response of primary breast cancer to therapy prior to surgery (neoadjuvant).

Eligible patients with HER2+ EBC with locally-determined pCR after standard of care neoadjuvant chemotherapy, trastuzumab and pertuzumab will receive response adapted therapy comprising i) completion of trastuzumab after 6 rather than 12 months and ii) no further pertuzumab or adjuvant chemotherapy. The primary clinical endpoint will be relapse free interval (RFI) at 3 years.

Further information is available on the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) website.

  • Local principle investigator: Louise Merker
  • Local sub-investigator: Katie Giles
  • Research nurse: Claire Stringer

This is a multi-centre trial of surgery versus minimally invasive vacuum assisted excision (VAE) of patients with small, biologically favourable screen-detected breast cancer.

A quality of life sub-study will assess the psychological impact of VAE compared to standard surgery, and a full health economic analysis will determine the cost-effectiveness of the technique.

Further information is available University of Birmingham’s SMALL trial page.