When and why breast cancer spreads to other organs
Official title: Project 1:Evolutionary dynamics and drivers of breast cancer metastasis and relapse
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11178560 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using tumor DNA and patient records, this project aims to understand how and when breast cancer cells leave the breast and cause later relapses so people with early-stage breast cancer can get better long-term care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 14, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $313,041 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA261719-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178560 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with early‑stage breast cancer—especially those with ER+/HER2‑ subtypes or those able to provide tumor tissue and long-term clinical follow‑up data, including paired primary and metastatic samples when available.
✕Less likely to help
People without breast cancer, or patients seeking an immediate treatment to cure active disease, are unlikely to get direct therapeutic benefit from this largely analytic and retrospective research.
What this research studies
Researchers compare DNA and chromosomal changes from primary breast tumors and their matched metastases, and analyze large patient datasets such as METABRIC to find patterns of relapse. They combine laboratory assays (including ATAC‑seq to study chromatin changes) with spatial, computational, and mathematical models to estimate the timing and routes of metastatic seeding. The team focuses on specific genomic alterations and copy number amplifications (for example 11q13, 17q23, 8q24, AKT pathway changes) to identify high‑risk subgroups. Findings are intended to reveal which tumors are likely to seed metastases early and why they later reappear, guiding future monitoring and treatment strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify patients at long-term risk of relapse and inform earlier or targeted interventions to prevent deadly metastasis.
How similar studies have gone: Prior genomic and modeling studies (including METABRIC and related publications) have shown early dissemination and useful relapse patterns, so this project builds on promising, previously published approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Curtis, Christina N — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Curtis, Christina N
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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.