Creating a tool to help older women decide on chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer
Official title: Developing a Decision Tool for Chemotherapy in Older Women with Early Stage Breast Cancer
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-10686368 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a helpful tool for older women with early-stage breast cancer to make informed choices about chemotherapy, taking into account their health needs and side effects, so they can feel more confident in discussing their treatment options with their doctors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2019 |
| Project end | January 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $250,577 |
| NIH project number | 5K08CA241087-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10686368 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who are considering chemotherapy as a treatment option.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not diagnosed with breast cancer or those who are not of advanced age may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a decision-making tool specifically for older women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. It aims to address the complexities involved in choosing chemotherapy by considering factors such as medical comorbidities and unique side effects that older patients may face. The tool will consist of two parts: one for physicians that includes validated risk outcomes, and another for patients that provides education on the disease, treatment benefits and risks, and personalized outcome probabilities. This approach is designed to enhance communication between patients and their healthcare providers, empowering patients to take an active role in their treatment decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide older women with a clearer understanding of their treatment options, leading to more informed and personalized healthcare decisions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that decision aids can significantly improve shared decision-making processes in healthcare, indicating a promising approach for this project.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karuturi, Meghan Sri — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Karuturi, Meghan Sri
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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A 3D ultrasound scanner to see early chemotherapy response in breast cancer
A new 3D ultrasound imaging method will be tested to see if it can quickly show whether breast cancer is responding to chemotherapy.
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3D ultrasound method to see early breast cancer response to chemotherapy
A new 3D ultrasound imaging method is being tested to quickly tell if breast cancer is responding to chemotherapy, using a FDA-cleared scanner at an affordable cost.
-
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting to gauge chemotherapy response in breast cancer
A patient-facing look at using a special MRI method (MRF) to see early whether breast cancer is responding to preliminary chemotherapy.
-
3D ultrasound to detect early breast tumor response to chemotherapy
A 3D quantitative ultrasound scanner will be used to detect early changes in breast tumors during chemotherapy for people with breast cancer.
-
Understanding how chemotherapy affects breast cancer spread and liver immunity
A research project looks at how standard breast cancer chemotherapy may change the immune system and cancer spread, especially to the liver, in people with aggressive breast cancer.
-
Using fat-and-sugar chemistry to boost breast cancer response to chemo
Aims to make low-dose chemotherapy work better against breast cancer by tweaking how lipid pathways in cancer cells respond to treatment.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.