Oncology and Solid Tumors

The Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest is strongly focused on neoplasms, with many studies in breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, and gastrointestinal cancers. These trials are mainly designed to test new therapies, compare them with current standards, and improve outcomes for people with advanced or high-risk disease.

  • Advanced and metastatic breast cancer, including hormone receptor-positive and triple-negative subtypes
  • Non-small cell lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies
  • Colorectal, gastric, esophageal, and biliary tract cancers
  • Ovarian, endometrial, and other gynecologic cancers

Overall, the site supports a broad portfolio of cancer research aimed at better treatment selection, disease control, and survival improvement across a wide range of solid tumors.

Precision Medicine and Biomarker-Driven Research

A major theme at this health care research site is precision oncology, with trials centered on tumors defined by specific molecular features such as EGFR, HER2, FGFR, KRAS, MTAP, and MSI-H/dMMR. The purpose is to match treatment more closely to the biology of each cancer and to improve the effectiveness of care.

  • Biomarker-selected solid tumors, including NSCLC, breast cancer, and gastric cancer
  • FGFR-altered, KRAS-mutated, and MTAP-deleted tumors
  • HER2-positive and HER2-low cancers
  • MSI-H and dMMR cancers across several tumor types

These studies reflect a strong interest in using molecular markers to guide treatment choice and better understand which patients are most likely to benefit.

Gynecologic and Genitourinary Cancers

The site also conducts substantial research in gynecologic and genitourinary cancers, especially ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and urothelial carcinoma. Many of these trials evaluate new combinations or maintenance approaches to improve disease control after initial treatment.

  • Ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers
  • Endometrial and cervical cancer
  • Prostate cancer, including metastatic and castration-resistant forms
  • Urothelial and bladder cancers

Research in this area is aimed at extending survival, reducing relapse risk, and finding more personalized treatment strategies for advanced or recurrent disease.

Thoracic, Head and Neck, and Rare Tumors

A diverse set of studies at the Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest covers thoracic oncology, head and neck cancer, and several rare tumors. These trials often focus on advanced disease and seek to improve response rates, symptom control, or outcomes after standard treatment has not worked well enough.

  • Lung cancer, including advanced and biomarker-defined subtypes
  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and related cancers
  • Sarcomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and bone tumors
  • Glioblastoma and other difficult-to-treat brain tumors

This mix of research highlights the site’s role in studying cancers with limited treatment options and in evaluating new approaches for hard-to-treat populations.