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Application-oriented breast cancer research

Call for proposals:	2002
Funding period:	2003-2008
Funding volume:	6,4 mio EUR
Number of projects:	10

1. Objectives of funding

With a share of about 20% in cancer mortality, breast cancer is the most frequent cause of death from cancer in women. About one woman in 12 develops this tumour in the course of her life. For the women affected, the illness causes great suffering, but also considerable uncertainty regarding the various methods available for early recognition, diagnosis and treatment.
While in the field of basic research, more especially of molecular genetic research, considerable efforts are currently being undertaken to better understand the causes and the genesis of breast cancer, there are major deficits in the field of clinical, patient-oriented research. Within the framework of the Federal Government programme "Health Research: Research for the People", the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) therefore intends to provide support for the further development of patient-oriented, clinical and care-related breast cancer research. By means of close networking of the disciplines to be involved and by interlinking research and care, the absolutely necessary interdisciplinarity in breast cancer research is strengthened and the transfer of knowledge and results between the various research areas on the one hand and care on the other is improved and accelerated.
By linking research projects with structures within which comprehensive high-quality breast cancer care is offered, the value of quality assurance measures is increased and a contribution thus made to improving patient care irrespective of the implementation of the research results in the medium term.

2. State of the funding measure

Funding is provided in a two-phase process. For the first phase - with deadline on June, 10, 2002 - 39 projects were submitted by breast cancer centers. These projects have been evaluated on February, 20 and 21, 2003 by an international and interdisciplinary expert committee which has recommended eight projects for funding. During the funding period of one year these eight breast cancer centers got the possibility to implement all necessary care structures for the planned studies and to prepare detailed study protocols. After this year all eight study protocols were reviewed on November, 20 and 21, 2004 and April, 26, 2005 for second phase funding. Four out of these eight were recommended for further funding. Projects have been started research since July 2005.

3. Funded projects

a) Short description of current projects

Improvement of Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in the region Tübingen-Stuttgart

Prospective, observational, multi-centre trial in post menopausal, hormone receptor positive breast cancer patients. Examination of the predicitive value of different markers for response and non-response of tamoxifen treatment

Robert Bosch Gesellschaft für medizinische Forschung mbH
Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie
Auerbachstr. 112
70376 Stuttgart