From more targeted treatments to new ways of monitoring cancer and improving care, research is changing what is possible in breast cancer.

Breast cancer research is moving quickly.

Across Canada and around the world, researchers are learning more about how breast cancer develops, why it behaves differently from person to person, and how treatment can be better matched to the biology of each individual cancer.

That progress matters.

Breast cancer is not one disease. There are many different types and subtypes, each with different characteristics, treatment options and challenges. The future of breast cancer care depends on understanding those differences—and using that knowledge to make care more precise.

In 2025 and into 2026, research continued to advance in several important areas, including targeted therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, triple-negative breast cancer, liquid biopsies, national collaboration and survivorship.

Here are six areas of research helping move breast cancer care forward.

1. Treatments are becoming more targeted

One of the most important shifts in breast cancer research is the move away from a one-size-fits-all approach.

For hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, researchers are developing new ways to target the estrogen receptor and overcome resistance to hormone therapy.

In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved imlunestrant, an oral treatment that targets the estrogen receptor, for people with ER-positive, HER2-negative, ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose disease has progressed following hormone therapy.

ESR1 mutations are one example of why understanding the molecular characteristics of a tumour matters. As breast cancer changes over time, its biology can change too. Identifying those changes may allow treatment to be adjusted based on what the cancer is doing—not simply what treatment was given previously.

This is the direction precision oncology is taking: the right treatment, for the right person, at the right time.

2. A new way to deliver cancer treatment

Antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, are a type of targeted cancer treatment.

Think of an ADC as a delivery system. An antibody is designed to recognize a specific feature on a cancer cell and carry a cancer-fighting drug to it. Once the treatment reaches its target, the drug is released to help destroy the cancer cell.

Research into ADCs is expanding rapidly, with studies examining their use across different types and stages of breast cancer.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan, for example, has demonstrated how this approach can expand treatment options for people with HER2-positive breast cancer. Research is also exploring its potential earlier in the course of disease.

Other ADCs are being studied and used for breast cancers that do not have the HER2 target, expanding the potential role of this type of treatment.

The research questions are also becoming more sophisticated. Scientists are investigating which patients are most likely to benefit, when these treatments should be used, how they should be sequenced, and why resistance develops.

That knowledge could help make treatment more effective and more personalized.

3. More treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC, remains one of the more challenging breast cancer subtypes because it does not have the three common targets used to guide many other breast cancer treatments.

That makes research particularly important.

Recent clinical trials have continued to identify new treatment strategies for TNBC, including immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates and combinations of targeted therapies.

In 2026, the U.S. FDA approved datopotamab deruxtecan for adults with unresectable or metastatic TNBC who are not candidates for certain immunotherapy treatments. The approval was based on clinical trial results showing improvements in both the time before the cancer progressed and overall survival compared with chemotherapy.

These developments are part of a broader shift in TNBC research. Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) is under regulatory review in Canada by Canada’s Drug Agency for treating unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Patient and clinician input reviews through public channels concluded in mid-2026, and an official Health Canada approval decision is pending. 

Rather than treating TNBC as a single group, researchers are working to understand the biological differences within the disease and identify opportunities to target those differences.

For people living with TNBC, that means research is creating more possibilities for treatment that is increasingly matched to the biology of their cancer.

4. Can a blood test help us track cancer?

One of the most promising areas of precision oncology is the study of circulating tumour DNA, or ctDNA.

Cancer cells can release tiny fragments of their DNA into the bloodstream. A liquid biopsy can analyse this DNA, potentially providing information about what is happening with a tumour without requiring a traditional tissue biopsy.

Researchers are investigating whether ctDNA can help detect molecular changes before they become visible on imaging or cause symptoms.

This could eventually change how treatment decisions are made.

Instead of waiting for cancer to progress enough to be detected through conventional monitoring, clinicians may be able to identify molecular signs of resistance earlier and consider changing treatment sooner.

Research such as the SERENA-6 trial has demonstrated the potential of using ctDNA to identify emerging ESR1 mutations and guide treatment decisions in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

The field is still evolving, and ctDNA is not yet a universal replacement for existing tests or imaging. But the research is moving toward an important goal: being able to understand what cancer is doing in real time.

This is an important part of the future of precision oncology—and an area where continued research is essential.

5. Canadian experts are turning research into better care

Research only creates progress when new evidence reaches the people who need it.

That is why collaboration among Canadian breast cancer experts is so important.

Brest Cancer Canada’s REAL Canadian Breast Cancer Alliance brings together a distinguished network of clinical and academic Canadian leaders to accelerate progress through research-driven collaboration.

Through the development of evidence-based clinical consensus recommendations, REAL Alliance works to help shape the future of breast cancer management and standards of care. Its recommendations consider both the latest scientific evidence and the realities facing patients and healthcare providers across Canada.

REAL Alliance is governed by a 20 member Nucleus made up of nationally and internationally recognized breast cancer specialists representing institutions across Canada. The group includes experts in medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, oncology pharmacy and related disciplines.

Consensus recommendations are developed through expert working groups and a rigorous Delphi process, bringing together evidence and expert perspectives before recommendations are voted on by Nucleus members and invited specialists.

By bringing leading Canadian experts together, REAL Alliance is helping translate scientific evidence into practical recommendations that can elevate breast cancer care across the country.

Research creates the evidence. Collaboration helps turn that evidence into action.

6. Research is changing how we think about life after treatment

Progress in breast cancer research is not only about developing new treatments.

It is also about understanding what happens during and after treatment—and how we can improve quality of life for people living with and beyond breast cancer.

Survivorship research is examining issues such as long-term treatment effects, fear of recurrence, financial toxicity, physical and emotional well-being, and how care can be better personalized to the individual.

New technologies may also play a role.

Researchers are studying whether tools such as ctDNA and other biomarkers could eventually help identify people at higher risk of recurrence and personalize surveillance and follow-up care.

This is an important evolution in breast cancer research.

Success cannot be measured only by whether someone completes treatment. Research must also ask:

• What does life look like afterwards?
• How can we better understand the long-term effects of treatment?
• How can we help people live well during and after breast cancer?

These questions are becoming an increasingly important part of the research landscape.

Why research matters

Every advancement in breast cancer begins with a question.

Why does one tumour respond to a treatment while another does not?

• Why does cancer return in some people but not others?
• Can we detect molecular changes earlier?
• Can treatment be made more precise?
• Can we reduce unnecessary treatment while improving outcomes?
• Can we better monitor people during and after treatment?
• Can we prevent breast cancer from returning?

Researchers across Canada are working to answer these questions.

At Breast Cancer Canada, we believe progress comes from investing in the science that can change what is possible.

We are Canada’s only national organization exclusively dedicated to advancing breast cancer research, funding research across the breast cancer continuum—from basic science, screening and detection to personalized treatment and survivorship.

Our focus is precision oncology: moving toward care that is increasingly tailored to the biology, circumstances and needs of each person.

The advances we are seeing today are built on years of research that came before them. And the discoveries being made today will shape the treatments, technologies and approaches of tomorrow.

Progress through research is how we get there. And there is still more to discover.

Support the research that is moving progress forward. Donate to Breast Cancer Canada.