Research and clinical trials for breast cancer
Go to Cancer Research UK’s clinical trials database if you are looking for a trial for breast cancer in the UK. You need to talk to your specialist if there are any trials that you think you might be able to take part in.
Some of the trials on this page have now stopped recruiting people. It takes time before the results are available. This is because the trial team follow the patients for a period of time and collect and analyse the results. We have included this ongoing research to give examples of the type of research being carried out in breast cancer.
When looking at the trials database, click on the ‘recruiting’, ‘closed’ and ‘results’ tabs to make sure you see all the trials.
All cancer treatments must be fully researched before they can be used for everyone. This is so we can be sure that:
they work
they work better than the treatments already available
they are safe
To make sure the research is accurate, each trial has certain entry conditions for who can take part. These are different for each trial. Hospitals do not take part in every clinical trial. Some trials are only done in a small number of hospitals, or in one area of the country. You may need to travel quite far if you take part in these trials.
Researchers continue to look for that increase the risk of breast cancer. They are also collecting information about families with these gene changes. This could help doctors decide the best way to manage people with an increased breast cancer risk in the future.
The Generations Study is looking at the causes of breast cancer. More than 110,000 women joined the study and researchers are following them over time. They collect information about their health, lifestyle, environment, genetics and medical history. They hope to understand more about why some women develop breast cancer and others do not. The research team have already published some results from the study.
Visit the Breast Cancer Now Generations Study website
Previous research shows that can reduce the risk of breast cancer in some people at moderate or high risk.
The IBIS 2 trial showed that anastrozole can reduce the risk of breast cancer in post menopausal women at high risk. Researchers continue to follow up women who took part. They are looking at longer term outcomes including breast cancer, other cancers and long-term side effects.
Researchers are looking at whether a targeted drug called denosumab can prevent breast cancer in women with a . Doctors already use denosumab to help manage bone health in people with and without cancer.
Doctors use information such as family history to identify people who may have a higher risk of breast cancer. Researchers have developed an online tool called CanRisk to help identify people with a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. As well as family history, CanRisk uses information about lifestyle, reproductive history and hormone use. Researchers are looking at the best way for healthcare professionals to use CanRisk.
Read more about CanRisk in our Cancer news section
Researchers are looking at whether artificial intelligence (AI) can help specialists find breast cancers on . They are studying whether AI can spot cancers on mammograms that a specialist might miss.
Researchers are studying FAST to see how well they can detect breast cancer. These take around 3 to 5 minutes. Usually it takes between 15 and 90 minutes to have an MRI scan.
Researchers are studying blood tests called liquid biopsies These tests look for tiny pieces of in the blood, called circulating tumour DNA or ctDNA. Studies are looking at whether ctDNA could help:
detect breast cancer earlier in women with a higher risk of breast cancer
find early signs that breast cancer is coming back
help doctors decide whether to change treatment to delay or prevent a relapse
Some people have treatment before surgery. Researchers are looking at hormone therapy before surgery to see if it can shrink . This might mean people can have a smaller operation. They are also investigating the best timing and schedule of the treatment. Other studies are adding new drugs to treatment before surgery. This includes an called sacituzumab tirumotecan.
Doctors are looking at whether people can safely have less treatment after breast surgery. This includes finding out if:
some people with can have treatment for a shorter time
people can avoid further treatment if completely cleared the cancer from their lymph nodes
people can have over a shorter time
Researchers want to understand why treatment works better for some people than others. They are studying blood, cancer tissue and sometimes poo samples. They hope this helps them identify:
who is most likely to benefit from treatment
who has a higher risk of their cancer coming back
whether treatment is working at an early stage
why some cancers become resistant to treatment
Researchers are also using AI to study scans, cancer samples and clinical information. They hope this could help predict who is most likely to respond to chemotherapy before surgery. Researchers want to find out why breast cancer outcomes differ between women from different ethnic backgrounds. They are collecting information about health, lifestyle, experiences, diagnosis and treatment. They aim to reduce inequalities and improve care.
does not have receptors for oestrogen, progesterone or HER2. This means treatments such as hormone therapy and trastuzumab (Herceptin) do not work. Researchers are looking for better treatment, particularly for people who still have cancer after having chemotherapy before surgery. Research includes:
comparing in cancer before and after treatment
studying antibody drug conjugates such as sacituzumab tirumotecan and sacituzumab govitecan
looking at whether bacteria and other microorganisms in the gut affect how well treatment works or side effects people have
Secondary breast cancer means that a cancer that started in the breast has spread to another part of the body.
Breast cancer cells can change over time and treatment can stop working. Doctors call this treatment resistance. Researchers are studying cancer samples from different places in the body to understand how changes during treatment. This could help doctors monitor cancer and find new ways to treat it.
Many clinical trials are looking at new treatments for secondary breast cancer. Researchers are studying new hormone therapy drugs including:
camizestrant
palazestrant
lasofoxifene
They are also studying new and . Not all of these treatments are suitable for everyone. It depends if the breast cancer cells have certain .
Trial treatments include:
capivasertib
trastuzumab pamirtecan
pumitamig
sacituzumab tirumotecan
inavolisib
tersolisib
trastuzumab deruxtecan
saruparib
Trial treatments include:
trastuzumab pamirtecan
pumitamig
patritumab deruxtecan
inavolisib
evorpacept
zanidatamab
Trial treatments include:
trastuzumab pamirtecan
pumitamig
datopotamab deruxtecan
izalontamab brengitecan
sacituzumab tirumotecan
Some treatments may also be suitable for cancers with low levels of HER2.
Find clinical trials looking at treatments for breast cancer
Researchers ae looking at ways to reduce side effects of treatment and improve people’s health and .
Breast cancer treatment can cause swelling called . Researchers are looking at whether surgery to change the route of the can help alongside standard treatment.
Chemotherapy can cause problems with thinking, sometimes called cognitive changes or chemo brain. Researchers are using brain scans and thinking skill tests. They want to understand how chemotherapy affects the brain and thinking.
Researchers are looking at how exercise and diet can help people before, during and after breast cancer treatment. They are studying:
exercise programmes after treatment
whether exercise during treatment before surgery can help treatment work better and reduce side effects
physical activity and diet programmes to help people manage their weight after treatment
Last reviewed: 19 Oct 2026
Next review due: 19 Oct 2029
Use our search page to find a trial by cancer type, drug name or trial name.
Treatment for breast cancer depends on a number of factors. The main treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted and immunotherapy drugs.
The aim of treatment for secondary breast cancer is to control the cancer, relieve the symptoms and maintain your quality of life. Treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy can help to reduce symptoms and might make you feel better.
There are different types of breast cancer and breast conditions, including breast cancer in men, and conditions related to breast cancer.
Find out about breast cancer, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, survival, and how to cope with the effects on your life and relationships.
