OPTImaL clinical trial gets funded by KWF

The Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) dedicates 4.1 million euros for large-scale international research into forgoing chemotherapy in women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.

Led by Marleen Kok, the OPTImaL clinical trial will investigate whether we can safely forgo chemotherapy in women with many immune cells around their tumors, as this indicates an excellent prognosis. The study will show whether immune cells are a reliable indicator when deciding whether to provide chemotherapy.

The study will take place in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands over the next eight years. The results may mean that thousands of women will no longer undergo chemotherapy worldwide.

More details here (video in Dutch).