Jonathan Cimino, Clinical Director of Research at Brussels University Hospital (HUB), shared a post on LinkedIn:
“A major breakthrough in HER2-positive breast cancer care.
The international APHINITY trial, coordinated by the Jules Bordet Institute (HUB) and presented at ESMO 2025 in Berlin, confirms the effectiveness of a dual targeted therapy (trastuzumab + pertuzumab) combined with chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting for patients with HER2+ breast cancer with lymph node involvement.
After more than 11 years of follow-up, results show a significant improvement in overall survival, with a 2.7 % gain in favor of dual therapy. While this number may seem modest, it represents a major impact: thousands of lives extended, years gained, renewed hope.
This breakthrough continues the legacy of the HERA trial (2005), which transformed oncology by showing that adding trastuzumab to chemotherapy reduced relapse risk by 50 % in HER2+ patients.
Both studies, involving nearly 9,000 women, highlight the concrete impact of collaborative clinical research. Through its research, the IJB has, for over two decades, provided patients access to the most innovative treatments within a rigorous and ethical scientific framework.
More posts featuring Jonathan Cimino.