Fatima Cardoso, MD

2012-2013 BCRF Project:
(made possible by generous support from Play for P.I.N.K.)
On behalf of Breast International Group (BIG) and The North American Breast Cancer Groups (NABCG)
Co-Investigators: John M.S. Bartlett, MD, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland; Peggy L. Porter, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA; and Sharon Giordano, MD, MPH, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Due to the low incidence of male breast cancer, international cooperation is necessary to undertake relevant projects with potential clinical impact. With the support of BCRF, the Male Breast Cancer International Registration and Biologic Characterization Program has been launched as a joint effort between the Breast International Group (BIG) and the North American Breast Cancer Groups (NABCG) and coordinated by the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). In the first part of this program, clinical data and tumor samples from about 1,500 male breast cancer cases are being collected. Accrual to these studies is happening rapidly, and over 400 patients have registered. This is the largest study on male breast cancer to date. The pathology analysis of these tumor samples in the central labs will lead to a better understanding of the biological characteristics of this disease and to the identification of important potential prognostic (indicative of the good or bad outcome of the disease) and predictive (indicative of probability of response to certain therapies) markers. The second part of this program, a prospective registry, is about to be launched.

Mid-year Progress: To date, 700 patients registered for this study, which represents the largest study of male breast cancer ever undertaken. The pathology analysis of these tumor samples in the central labs will begin when all samples are received and will lead to a better understanding of the biological characteristics of this disease and to the identification of important potential prognostic (indicative of the good or bad outcome of the disease) and predictive (indicative of probability of response to certain therapies) markers. The second part of this program, a prospective registry, is being launched.

Bio:
Dr. Cardoso is the Director of the Breast Cancer Unit of the Champalimaud Cancer Center in Lisbon, Portugal. Dr Cardoso earned her medical degree at the University of Porto in Portugal and completed fellowships in the Translational Research Unit of the Jules Bordet Institute (IJB) in Brussels, Belgium (Prof. Martine Piccart), and Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas (Prof. Mien-Chie Hung). She then worked for 10 years as Assistant Professor at the Medical Oncology Clinic of the IJB where, besides her clinical work, she was active in the Translational Research Unit and was responsible for phase II-III trials in breast cancer. She is board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine.

Dr Cardoso's research interests include biology of breast cancer, prognostic and predictive markers of response to systemic therapy, and new anticancer agents. She is actively involved in a number of phase I-III breast cancer clinical trials and serves as the scientific director of the international research network TRANSBIG.

Dr Cardoso is actively involved in numerous professional organizations such as ESMO, ECCO, EORTC, ASCO, and AACR where she serves on several committees, including the ECCO Board of Directors and serves as EORTC Secretary General.

She is the Breast Cancer Program Coordinator of the European School of Oncology, co-chair of the Advanced Breast Cancer International Consensus Guidelines Conference (ABC) and vice-chair of the EORTC-Breast Cancer Group.

Dr Cardoso is editor-in-chief of The Breast Journal, associate editor of the European Journal of Cancer, and an editorial board member of several other journals.

She has received several educational and research grants from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), the European Cancer Organization (ECCO), the Portuguese League Against Cancer, the Portuguese Ministry of Health, the Free University of Brussels, the "Fonds Jean-Claude Heuson", the Fondation Lambeau-Marteau, the Belgian Federation Against Cancer, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the European Union Framework VI Programme.

Dr Cardoso has authored over 200 publications and has presented her work nationally and internationally.