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Search / Trial NCT02102165

AURORA: Aiming to Understand the Molecular Aberrations in Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Launched by BREAST INTERNATIONAL GROUP · Mar 31, 2014

Trial Information

Current as of July 22, 2025

Recruiting

Keywords

Aurora Breast Cancer Metastatic Molecular Screening Targeted Gene Sequencing Molecular Aberrations Exploratory Biomarker

ClinConnect Summary

The AURORA trial is focused on understanding the genetic changes in metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. The goal is to find out why some patients respond well to treatments while others do not, and ultimately to help identify the best treatment options for each individual. The study aims to enroll about 1,300 patients across Europe who are at least 18 years old, have recently been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer or whose cancer has returned, and have received no more than one prior treatment for their cancer.

Participants in the trial will provide biopsy samples from their tumors, as well as blood samples, which will be analyzed to gather important information about their cancer. If any samples aren't used right away, they will be stored for future research. This trial not only hopes to improve our understanding of metastatic breast cancer but also gives patients the chance to participate in new treatment studies if their cancer has specific genetic changes that are being targeted by developing therapies. Overall, AURORA aims to enhance treatment outcomes for everyone diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

  • Inclusion Criteria:
  • 1. Female or male ≥ 18 years with diagnosis of locally recurrent/advanced BC not amenable to treatment with curative intent or MBC who have not received more than 1 line of systemic therapy (any type) in the metastatic setting.
  • Under protocol 4.0, eligible patients will be limited to locally recurrent/advanced breast cancer not amenable to treatment with curative intent or MBC with:
  • histopathology-confirmed TNBC as defined by ER \<1% and HER2 negative following ASCO-CAP guidelines
  • ILC (either based on ILC morphology or negative E-cadherin expression confirmed by IHC). Mixed ILC/invasive ductal carcinoma are not eligible for the ILC cohort.
  • late relapse BC (any subtype). Late relapse is defined as a patient with a radiologic or histologic confirmation of advanced or MBC relapse \> 10 years from the primary BC diagnosis.
  • 2. Written informed consent prior to registration into the program.
  • 3. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status 0 or 1.
  • 4. Availability of primary tumor tissue for research purposes.
  • 5. Patient must have a metastatic lesion accessible for biopsy and must agree with the biopsy procedure.
  • 1. Up until protocol 3.0, up to 100 patients with bone-only metastasis have been included without a metastatic biopsy, if plasma samples have been collected at screening, and if the patient met all other eligibility criteria.
  • 2. In protocol 4.0, metastatic tumor biopsies from bone lesions will be accepted provided that the chosen site of biopsy was not previously irradiated.
  • 3. Brain tissue is accepted if it is obtained through surgical excision not planned for AURORA, but as part of the routine clinical practice.
  • 6. The biopsy of the metastatic lesion must be conducted either at the initial diagnosis of the BC relapse before the initiation of 1st line systemic therapy or at the 1st disease progression before initiation of a second line systemic treatment. There is no restriction in the type of therapeutic modality considered as 1st line systemic treatment, which can consist of any type of treatment administered after the diagnosis of the advanced BC relapse till the 1st disease progression thereafter.
  • 7. Biopsies obtained during routine clinical practice are accepted if both formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and Frozen Tissue (FT) blocks were collected concurrently from the same metastatic lesion and if collected at the pre-specified timelines for AURORA.
  • 8. Availability of a whole blood, serum and plasma samples collected at the time of screening.
  • 9. Patient agrees to provide blood samples at regular intervals, from the screening as well as during the follow-up phase of the program.
  • Exclusion Criteria:
  • 1. The patient has received more than 1 line of systemic therapy (any type) in the metastatic setting.
  • 2. Patients who have received prior palliative radiotherapy to the only site that is accessible to biopsy.
  • 3. Presence of severe hematopoietic, renal, and/or hepatic dysfunction, including but not restricted to albumin \< 3 g/dl.
  • 4. Known increased risk of hemorrhage during biopsy procedure, as evaluated by the treating physician.
  • 5. Previous or current malignancies of other histologies within the last 5 years, with the exception of in situ carcinoma of the cervix, and adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

About Breast International Group

The Breast International Group (BIG) is a leading global organization dedicated to advancing breast cancer research through the coordination and support of international clinical trials. Comprising a network of academic and clinical researchers, BIG fosters collaboration among various stakeholders to facilitate innovative studies aimed at improving treatment outcomes and understanding of breast cancer. By uniting expertise and resources from multiple countries, BIG aims to accelerate the development of effective therapies and promote evidence-based practices in breast cancer care, ultimately enhancing patient survival and quality of life.

Locations

Brussels, , Belgium

Milano, , Italy

Madrid, , Spain

Valencia, , Spain

Barcelona, , Spain

Barcelona, , Spain

Madrid, , Spain

Valencia, , Spain

Valencia, , Spain

Gothenburg, , Sweden

Sevilla, , Spain

Baden, , Switzerland

Leuven, , Belgium

Brussels, , Belgium

Glasgow, , United Kingdom

Lleida, , Spain

Pavia, , Italy

Bern, , Switzerland

Manchester, , United Kingdom

A Coruña, , Spain

Oldenburg, , Germany

Liège, , Belgium

Freiburg, , Germany

Madrid, , Spain

Cáceres, , Spain

Carpi, , Italy

Nottingham, , United Kingdom

Yeovil, , United Kingdom

Düsseldorf, , Germany

Wilrijk, , Belgium

Bristol, , United Kingdom

Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium

Warsaw, , Poland

Charleroi, , Belgium

Edegem, , Belgium

Namur, , Belgium

Essen, , Germany

Luebeck, , Germany

Offenbach, , Germany

Reykjavík, , Iceland

Biella, , Italy

Bolzano, , Italy

Cremona, , Italy

Genova, , Italy

Legnago, , Italy

Parma, , Italy

Reggio Emilia, , Italy

Luxembourg, , Luxembourg

Lisboa, , Portugal

Barcelona, , Spain

Castellón, , Spain

Madrid, , Spain

Jönköping, , Sweden

Chur, , Switzerland

Lucerne, , Switzerland

Birmingham, , United Kingdom

Cornwall, , United Kingdom

Dundee, , United Kingdom

Edinburgh, , United Kingdom

South Glamorgan, , United Kingdom

Swansea, , United Kingdom

Yeovil, Somerset, , United Kingdom

Cardiff, , United Kingdom

Castellón De La Plana, , Spain

München, , Germany

Truro, , United Kingdom

Patients applied

0 patients applied

Trial Officials

Philippe Aftimos, MD

Principal Investigator

Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium

Angel Guerrero Zotano, MD

Principal Investigator

Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Valencia, Spain

Matteo Benelli, PhD

Principal Investigator

Breast International Group

Timeline

First submit

Trial launched

Trial updated

Estimated completion

Not reported

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