Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Hereditary and Early onset breast cancer: Comprehensive personalized Assessment, early Risk Evaluation, and clinical management

Project description

Early detection of breast cancer in young women

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and Europe reports some of the highest rates of cases in women under 50, considered early-onset breast cancer. The genetic and environmental factors driving these cases remain poorly understood. This gap in knowledge limits our options for prevention and treatment. The HER-CARE project, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, aims to change this. By integrating genetics, molecular biology, imaging and new technologies such as AI and machine learning, the project will refine risk assessment and develop less invasive diagnostic tools. In addition, HER-CARE will train and mentor 15 doctoral researchers, who will work on personalised prevention and care strategies, improved genetic counselling and reduction of misdiagnoses.

Objective

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, with European countries having some of the highest age-standardized incident rates of early-onset (< age 50) breast cancer in the world. Yet, our understanding of the genetic and environmental factors triggering the pathophysiology of the disease in young women is still limited. Advancing breast cancer prevention and treatment demands a holistic approach towards an accurate and early tumour detection – strongly linked with better clinical outcomes.
HER-CARE aims to revolutionize the approach to hereditary and early-onset breast cancer through an innovative, interdisciplinary research and training program. The project will address critical gaps in early detection, risk stratification, and clinical management by developing tools that integrate genetic, molecular, and imaging data with state-of-the-art technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced statistical modelling. These efforts will uncover: i) new molecular mechanisms and biological targets that can be targeted in hereditary and early-onset breast cancer; ii) better multifactorial risk profiles to enhance prediction accuracy; iii) new minimally invasive tools and assays to detect and intercept breast cancer early. The resulting tools and methodologies will: enhance early detection with accessible, personalized treatment and preventative strategies tailored to young women; ii) improve genetic counselling and clinical management; iii) improve treatment guidelines/ cancer prevention programs; and iv) reduce the high rate of misdiagnoses and overtreatment.
HER-CARE will train the next generation of researchers by equipping 15 Doctoral Candidates with multidisciplinary skills spanning genetics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, cancer epidemiology, biostatistics, and computational science to transform the management of hereditary and early-onset breast cancer.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

STICHTING HET NEDERLANDS KANKER INSTITUUT-ANTONI VAN LEEUWENHOEK ZIEKENHUIS
Net EU contribution
€ 915 857,28
Total cost
No data

Participants (11)

Partners (21)