Icro Meattini, associate professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Florence, director of the Breast Unit at Careggi University Hospital and a board member of the Radiotherapy Oncology Foundation (FRO), has been selected as an investigator by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) of New York, one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to funding breast cancer research.
For the first time, a European radiation oncologist joins the international network of the American charity.
«I am deeply honored to join the Breast Cancer Research Foundation investigators’ community and to share with colleagues around the world our commitment to improving the lives of women with breast cancer. Being the first European radiation oncologist to receive this recognition is a source of pride and a significant responsibility. This achievement, however, arises from teamwork: from the dedication of the colleagues I work with, from the support of the Radiotherapy Oncology Foundation, and, above all, from the trust of the patients who chose to contribute to the research. The BCRF funding will allow us to deepen how to provide effective care with a smaller impact on daily life, taking into account the needs and preferences of every woman»», says Icro Meattini.
The BCRF Investigators
The BCRF investigators are leading scientists and clinicians dedicated to preventing, diagnosing, and treating breast cancer. For his research project, Meattini will receive from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation a grant of about $200,000 that will be allocated to the Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences at the University of Florence, where the professor is affiliated.
The project linked to the EUROPA study
The research project is based on the international phase 3 EUROPA study, fully funded by the FRO and coordinated by Meattini in his role as principal investigator. The trial involves more than 900 women over 70 with early-stage, low-risk breast cancer, comparing radiotherapy with endocrine therapy, and including among its primary endpoints quality of life and the burden of treatment for the patients.
The new phase of the project aims to tailor care for women with low-risk cancer, avoiding unnecessary treatments and their adverse effects. It includes, in particular:
- Analysis of the impact of the different radiotherapy delivery modalities on side effects and patients’ quality of life;
- Development of a cost‑effectiveness model to identify care strategies that offer the greatest value to patients and health systems;
- Study of obstacles that limit access to care and participation in clinical research.
The goal is to generate evidence that helps promote cancer care that is more equitable, sustainable, and personalized.
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