How ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences Are Teaming Up to Fight Cancer

Cancer research is integral to advancing treatment options and developing cures for these diseases. With funding, resources, and collaboration, experts can improve their analysis and help patients. How are ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences teaming up to fight cancer? Their recent announcement will benefit clinical trials and molecular profiling.

How ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences Are Teaming Up

In October 2024, the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and Caris Life Sciences unveiled their plan to combine technologies and resources to further cancer research. Caris specializes in advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and genomic profiling, and ECOG-ACRIN offers extensive research capabilities. With specialized tools, these organizations will collaborate for breast cancer research.¹

“Our collaboration with Caris has deep roots, aligned interests, and a commitment to develop the best science in the service of early detection and treatment of cancer,” said Peter J. O'Dwyer, MD, Group Co-Chair of ECOG-ACRIN. “The promise of the joint effort is to provide broad availability of cutting-edge options for cancer patients in their communities.”¹

ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences Lay the Groundwork

The first project leverages results from Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment (TAILORx) as it will study the earliest stage of breast cancer. While this stage has a high survival rate, the risk of recurrence is noteworthy, especially for aggressive subtypes. For instance, people with triple-negative or inflammatory breast cancer have high recurrence rates, thus requiring more research and treatment.²

The ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Science researchers will leverage tumor samples and biospecimens from the previous TAILORx trial. Lead scientists are optimistic about the research prospects.

“I’m excited to build on the trial’s initial findings which prevented millions of women with early breast cancer from having to endure toxic treatments, to continue discerning valuable insights related to long-term recurrence risk and to identify even more women who may benefit from more efficient treatment options,” said George W. Sledge, Jr., MD, EVP and Chief Medical Officer of Caris.¹

How Will Each Organization Contribute to the Project?

This collaboration combines the specialties of each entity to maximize their research capabilities. Caris’ role is to conduct molecular characterization of each tumor tissue from the TAILORx trial. With nearly 10,000 patients, the researchers have followed these participants for over 11 years. Additionally, Caris will leverage advanced AI and machine learning (ML) to understand the datasets.¹

ECOG-ACRIN will contribute by relying on its 1,400 member institutions and 21,000 research professionals worldwide to advance the research. The organization has facilitated reputable clinical trials such as TAILORx, ComboMATCH, and other critical testing. With 40 scientific committees, ECOG-ACRIN’s capabilities span the cancer spectrum to further knowledge.

“Our shared vision of improving the outcomes of all patients with cancer will nurture this collaborative effort with the ECOG-ACRIN researchers. We aim to achieve common goals in advancing precision medicine and biomarker research in cancer, and to increase treatment options for cancer patients,” said Sledge of ECOG-ACRIN joining the Caris POA.

What Role Does Molecular Characterization Have?

Molecular characterization lets you conclude specific attributes of cells and tissues. This process is critical because it differentiates infectious agents that cause diseases, thus increasing accuracy in diagnostics.

The project leaders say Caris will conduct whole exome (WES) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS). With WES, you genetically analyze the section of your DNA that codes proteins. WTS examines all your RNA transcripts to map genes, measure transcripts, analyze splicing, and other key roles.

WES is integral to breast cancer research because it can identify mutations in tumorigenesis. For example, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations increase your risk of breast and ovarian cancers³, so WES can help your treatment. WTS aids your understanding of gene expression and non-coding RNAs often implicated in breast cancer.

Why Is This Collaboration Important?

How ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences are teaming up is critical to advancing breast cancer research in all communities. Recent studies have revealed racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer recurrences. While treatments and technologies have improved, researchers have found these patterns differ despite similar access to care.

For example, a 2023 JAMA Surgery post hoc analysis examined 9,369 clinical trial subjects and their locoregional recurrence rates after eight years. The results found Asian and non-Hispanic black women had the highest rates at 4%. Hispanic women had a 3% rate, while non-Hispanic white women were at 2%.⁴

Ultimately, the researchers concluded that racial and ethnic differences were prevalent in the clinical trial population. They said failure to rescue after locoregional recurrence may have contributed to the disparities.⁴ In the ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences collaboration, the scientists aim to help patients with cancer in their respective communities.

Why Is Breast Cancer the Focus?

Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common disease found in women. The American Cancer Society (ACS) says breast cancer annually accounts for about 30% of new cancer cases in women. In total, researchers say about 300,000 women in 2024 will be diagnosed with the disease, and 42,250 will die.⁵

The project is critical for breast cancer research because it focuses on the earliest stage. If you detect cancer early, you have a better chance to treat and survive the disease. However, it may appear without symptoms, so women must be proactive and regularly get mammograms, as their accessibility has increased.

If caught early, the survival rate for breast cancer is high. The ACS says 99% of women survive localized breast cancer, while 86% survive the regional type. Distant or metastatic breast cancer survival rate decreases to 31%. Overall, the five-year survival numbers are about 90% for women.⁶

How Can Advanced AI and ML Assist Cancer Research?

Advanced technologies have progressed cancer research and made diagnostics easier for health care professionals. Behind this movement are AI and its subset — machine learning (ML). With these algorithms, you can enhance accuracy and better understand breast cancer patterns. Recent innovations and research have demonstrated AI’s effectiveness in imaging and biopsies.

A 2024 Journal of Clinical Medicine analysis examined AI’s power in breast cancer medical imaging. In this review, the researchers said AI-assisted imaging is emerging and has room for improvement. However, the technology provides a promising path for accuracy and efficiency in breast cancer diagnostics.⁷

In cancer research, AI is most applicable in specific areas of diagnosis. For instance, this advanced technology can be effective for minimally invasive testing and efficacy assessments. AI and ML are also useful for distinguishing specific biological features in recurrent or metastatic cancers.⁷ These advancements can improve health care for professionals and patients.

How Will It Affect Future Cancer Research?

Once the project reaches a designated end, the data will be publicly available in a National Cancer Institute database. While helpful for breast cancer research, scientists can use the information to advance studies of other diseases. If AI and ML are conducive to the project, other researchers can identify patterns and biomarkers to promote early detection.

For instance, the findings could assist in childhood cancer detection. Experts say cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children, with an estimated 9,620 new diagnoses in 2024.⁸ The partnership could be fruitful in discovering genetic mutations or therapies that apply to childhood cancers.

Cancer researchers have already found ways to improve childhood cancer detection by using gene fusion. A 2022 Precision Oncology study performed RNA sequencing on 24 samples and identified gene fusion in 34% of cases. Ultimately, they concluded RNA sequencing is effective for childhood cancer diagnostics and treatment.⁹

How Can the Project Improve Clinical Trial Efficiency?

Researching cancers is challenging, as there are limitations in funding, time, and procedures. Each person’s cancerous cells are unique and complicated to compare. You must treat one tumor separately from another, as it may differ with its genetic mutations. Therefore, clinical trials can be long and strenuous for research groups.

How ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences are teaming up is essential to making research clinics more efficient and helpful for patients. In the ECOG-ACRIN press release, the company said molecular testing’s standards of care are crucial to advancing precision oncology.¹ AI and ML can make these clinical trials more efficient and conducive to researchers.

Within clinical trials, some liabilities may prevent accuracy and understanding. Other examinations could risk your health and safety without proper precautions. For instance, the National Institute on Aging says testing may increase the risk of falling. If the trial uses X-rays, there could be a risk of developing cancer. Heightening trial efficiency helps those with breast cancer and other forms of diseases.¹⁰

How ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences Are Teaming Up to Combat Breast Cancer

Breast cancer affects people worldwide, and some may need help receiving the proper care. If you know someone with this disease, you understand what they go through. With ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences’ partnership, researchers will have more tools to fight breast cancer and its subtypes.

This collaboration will build on the previous TAILORx breast cancer trial and study tumor tissue samples. Using this information, researchers will use AI and deep learning technologies to make breast cancer treatment more equitable across all races and ethnicities. With this joint effort, new technologies will be broadly available.

Sources:

1. ECOG-ACRIN. ECOG-ACRIN and Caris Life Sciences partner to interrogate landmark TAILORx breast cancer trial.
2. DePolo, Jamie. Breastcancer.org. Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk.
3. National Cancer Institute. BRCA Gene Changes: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing.
4. Kantor O., King Tari A., Freedman Rachel A. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Locoregional Recurrence Among Patients With Hormone Receptor–Positive, Node-Negative Breast Cancer. JAMA Surgery. 2023;158(6):583-591. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2023.0297.
5. American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Breast Cancer.
6. American Cancer Society. Survival Rates for Breast Cancer.
7. Zheng D., He X., Jing J. Overview of Artificial Intelligence in Breast Cancer Medical Imaging. J. Clin. Med. 2023;12(2): 419. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12020419.
8. Four Diamonds. Types and Frequency of Childhood Cancer.
9. Hehir-Kwa, J., et al. Improved Gene Fusion Detection in Childhood Cancer Diagnostics Using RNA Sequencing. JCO Precision Oncology. 2022;6:e2000504. DOI:10.1200/PO.20.00504.
10. National Institute on Aging. Clinical Research: Benefits, Risks and Safety.