Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in women. It is estimated that in 2008, there will be 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women and 1,990 cases in men. The risk factors for breast cancer include age, high breast tissue density, confirmed hyperplasia, long menstrual cycles, use of oral contraceptives, having first child after the age of 30, never having children, inherited genetic mutations (BRCA 1 and BRCA 2), personal or family history of breast cancer, and having received high-dose radiation therapy to the chest for medical treatment.

Treatment options for breast cancer may vary depending on tumor size, stage of the disease, whether the cancer is newly diagnosed or recurrent/refractory, other medical conditions, and the patient's treatment preference, and should be discussed with the patient's physician.

Breast Cancer Clinical Trials

The Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI's largest division doing research on campus, conducts breast clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. NCI accepts referrals to breast clinical trials conducted in Bethesda, Md., through its Clinical Trials Referral Office (formerly the Clinical Studies Support Center) at 1-888-NCI-1937 (1-888-624-1937).

NCI is currently conducting the following trials for patients with breast cancer. Click on the trials below for additional details, including a summary of eligibility criteria, treatment plan, and information on how to contact the principal investigators and their staff directly.