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RecruitingNCT05317221Updated May 12, 2026

Developing Breast (Cancer) Organoids

An observational study in Breast Cancer, sponsored by Maastricht Radiation Oncology. Recruiting at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-12.

Sponsored by Maastricht Radiation Oncology · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Sep 2022; still recruiting 4 years 2 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
60
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Currently, only a few validated biomarkers and models exist guiding or predicting treatment response for specific patient groups. Therefore, a patient-tailored clinical model needs to be developed to address tumour heterogeneity and thereby guide treatment selection on an individualized level. Organoids are patient-derived aggregates that grow in 3D and maintain self- renewal pluripotency and lineage-specific differentiation. Therefore, in contrast with conventional cell lines, they are thought to sustain patient heterogeneity and characteristics and are consequently already in use for drug response screening.

This now offers the opportunity to investigate if the primary patient breast cancer organoid platform reflects disease progression, treatment response and relapse in patients with different clinical breast cancer subtypes.

Goal: To develop a living biobank from prospective patient-derived breast cancer tissue. The questions we will address are:

  1. Do patient-derived breast cancer organoids retain the clinical behaviour and characteristics of the primary patient tumour?
  2. Can BC organoids be used to derive prognostic and predictive biomarkers to inform treatment decisions?
  3. Can the investigators utilize BC organoids to discover novel actionable targets and combination treatments for therapeutic intervention for breast cancer patients?
  4. Can BC organoids be used to discover mechanisms of treatment resistance and relapse?
Read the detailed description

The investigators will select patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer who undergo breast surgery. Patients will be asked informed consent for the use of a small (0,2-1 cm3) sample of the excised breast tumour and the collection of a blood sample (6ml)for whole-exome sequencing (WES) to compare the genetic profile of the patients with the organoids and the patient biopsy. The patients will not undergo any additional treatment or procedure in addition to the planned routine procedure for the surgical resection of their primary breast tumour.

Patient will undergo standard diagnostic procedures and treatment according to the Dutch breast cancer surgery guidelines. After surgery, the pathologist will provide -after pathological diagnosis- rest (tumour) tissue from the resection to the lab. This material will then be used to develop breast cancer organoids. As part of the routine surgical procedure, 6 ml of blood will be collected. Participation in this study does not lead to additional actions other than reading the patient information and signing the informed consent. Therefore, participation does not change the patient's treatment or outcome.

02

Conditions studied

  • Breast Cancer

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03

In context

Breast Neoplasms

14,825 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 3,319 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 60 is below the median of 184 across 3,235 observational studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.

Browse Breast Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Maastricht Radiation Oncology is the lead sponsor of 106 studies on the registry; 9 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

All breast cancer patients that meet the criteria mentioned above.

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.

Inclusion criteria

  • Female,
  • >18 years,
  • Family Anamneses
  • Breast cancer (proven by histopathology), Included subtypes; (ER-,PR- -); (ER+, PR+, HER2-); (ER+, PR+ HER2+).
  • Primary surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

- Physically or mentally incapable or incompetent to sign

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

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.

HER2

HER2 is a protein, made from the ERBB2 gene, that drives the growth of some cancers. A study may look for a level of the protein, extra copies of the gene, or a particular change in it.

In breast cancer, protein tests are read as HER2-positive, HER2-low or HER2-negative; other cancers use their own rules. Check which test result the study requires.

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.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • All patients

    The is only 1 arm: all breast cancer patients undergoing surgery.

    Other: Not an extra intervention, tissue taken in routine practice will be used.

Interventions

  • OtherNot an extra intervention, tissue taken in routine practice will be used.

    No extra intervention: using tumour tissue taken during surgery in standard of care.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Living biobank

    The development of a patient derived breast cancer living biobank using 3D organoid technology reflecting the most prominent clinical subtypes.

    Time frame: 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Organoids.

    Cultivate breast cancer organoids that can be used to predict the treatment response to existing and novel combination treatments.

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 12, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05317221
Collaborators
Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 7, 2022
Start date
Sep 1, 2022
Primary completion
Apr 1, 2028 (estimated)
Completion
May 1, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
May 12, 2026

Study contacts

Chantal Overhof
Contact
chantal.overhof@maastro.nl
+31 88 44 55 683
Ann Claessens
Contact
ann.claessens@maastro.nl
+31 88 44 55 600
Marc Vooijs, PhD
principal investigator · Maastricht University
Marjolein Smidt, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Maastricht University Medical Center
Loes Kooreman, MD
principal investigator · Maastricht University Hospital (MUMC+)
Maaike De Boer, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Maastricht University Hospital (MUMC+)

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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