An observational study in Breast Cancer, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Colorectal Cancer, sponsored by University Health Network, Toronto. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-14.
Sponsored by University Health Network, Toronto · Observational
Substantial progress has been made in the treatment of cancer through the use of targeted therapies, but what works for one patient might not work for another patient. Certain drugs are now being developed that target specific molecules in the body that are believed to be part of the disease.
Biomarkers are specific characteristics of the cancer that may help provide prognostic information (i.e. how well patients will be regardless of the treatments given) or help predict sensitivity or resistance to a specific treatment.
The study will collect archival tumor samples (previously collected biopsy or surgical tumor samples) to provide biomarker data about a patient's cancer, in order to help their physicians to identify which clinical trials of molecularly targeted therapies may be most appropriate for the patient in the future.
The increasing appreciation and identification of specific somatic mutations and other genetic aberrations that drive cancers leave us on the threshold of a new era of "personalized cancer medicine", in which specific biomarkers will be used to direct targeted agents only to those patients deemed most likely to respond. The potential medical, scientific and economic benefits of such a personalized approach to cancer therapy are immense and self-evident. Yet despite some important advances, only a limited number of approved targeted agents have had their approvals predicated on specific biomarkers of sensitivity or resistance.
The premises behind personalized cancer medicine include: i) genetic aberrations exist in human malignancies; ii) a subset of these aberrations, often present across multiple cancer types, have functional relevance as "hallmarks" or "drivers" for oncogenesis and tumor progression; iii) such genetic aberrations are potentially "druggable" targets; and iv) there are tolerable medicinal compounds that can effectively modulate such targets. A key requirement of this new, personalized approach to anti-cancer therapy is that specific patients must be matched to a particular drug or combination of drugs. Molecular profiling of tumors to identify somatic mutations and/or other genetic aberrations are examples of enrichment strategies to assist in matching patients to drugs or treatments that have gained increasing interest in the oncology community.
The present protocol seeks to provide molecular profiling data to the treating physician for patients with advanced breast, non-small cell lung, colorectal, genitourinary, pancreatobiliary gastrointestinal, upper aerodigestive tract, gynecological, melanoma, unknown primary, and rare carcinomas, as well as patients who are phase I trial candidates, in order to help identify which standard regimens or clinical trials of molecularly targeted therapies may be most appropriate for the individual patient.
14,825 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 3,319 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 3,026 is above the median of 184 across 3,235 observational studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.
Browse Breast Neoplasms studies →University Health Network, Toronto is the lead sponsor of 1,438 studies on the registry; 297 are open to participants now.
Of its 17 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 3 (18%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Advanced cancers (breast, non-small cell lung, colorectal, genitourinary, pancreatobiliary gastrointestinal, upper aerodigestive tract, gynecological, melanoma, unknown primary, and rare carcinomas) and phase 1 clinical trial candidates
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.
Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
ECOG performance status
A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.
Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Advanced breast, non-small cell lung, colorectal, genitourinary, pancreatobiliary gastrointestinal, upper aerodigestive tract, gynecological, melanoma, unknown primary, and rare carcinomas; as well as patients who are phase I trial candidates
Molecular profiling data to be made available in patient's electronic medical records.
Genotyping assays including: AKT1, HRAS, AKT2, JAK2, AKT3, KIT, BRAF, KRAS, CDK, MEK1, CTNNB1, MET, EGFR, NOTCH1, ERBB2, NRAS, FGFR1, PDGFRA, FGFR2, PIK3CA, FGFR3, RET, FGFR4, SMO, STK11
Time frame: 1 month
Utilization rates of molecular profiling information
Including utilization of information for standard regimens or clinical trials of molecularly targeted therapies.
Time frame: 1 year
Clinical trial accrual rates among patients with available molecular profiling data
Time frame: 1 year
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University Health Network, Toronto →