Breast Cancer Now study to explore personalised drug doses
Esme Needham | December 9, 2025 | News story | Research and Development | Breast Cancer Now, Oncology
Breast Cancer Now has announced a new study to evaluate whether personalised drug doses could improve quality of life for people with incurable secondary breast cancer.
Around 61,000 people currently live with secondary – also known as metastatic – breast cancer in the UK. It occurs when cancer cells spread from the primary cancer location in the breast to other parts of the body, and although it can be treated, it cannot be cured. Treatments can cause varied side effects, affecting quality of life for patients.
Thus far, there has been limited research into how factors such as ethnicity and genetics impact treatment side effects.
In an effort to tackle this issue, Breast Cancer Now has awarded a £166,965 grant to Dr Olubukola Ayodele at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University of Leicester. The grant is intended to fund research into how people from a diverse range of backgrounds experience and react to secondary breast cancer treatments, as well as whether individually-adjusted drug doses could improve quality of life.
The research team will undertake a national survey of around 1,000 secondary breast cancer patients, with the goal of discovering how well patients feel their treatment is tailored to them, and what challenges they have faced during treatment.
Dr Ayodele said: “While advances in breast cancer treatment have improved survival rates, there are still significant differences in how people experience these treatments. This is especially true for women from different ethnic backgrounds, who may experience varying side effects and treatment outcomes because of the lack of diversity in clinical trials. Understanding these differences is crucial for ensuring all women receive the best care possible.”
Breast Cancer Now is a UK breast cancer charity.
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