Etienne Brain, MD, PhD, is a senior medical oncologist at Institut Curie/Saint-Cloud in the Greater Paris Metropolitan Region and one of Europe’s leading experts in breast cancer and geriatric oncology. He has been a member of the Institut Curie faculty since 1998, where he has played a central role in clinical research, multidisciplinary cancer care, and the development of innovative treatment strategies for older adults with breast malignancies. Dr. Brain is also Associate Professor of Oncology at Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University (UVSQ).
Dr. Brain earned his medical degree (MD) and board certification in medical oncology from Université René Descartes (Paris V) in 1993. He pursued advanced research training in Boston, completing postdoctoral fellowships at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School and the Division of Cell and Molecular Biology at Boston University, where he specialized in cancer pharmacology, particularly alkylating agents and hepatic metabolism in preclinical models. He later obtained his PhD in cellular and molecular biology from Université René Descartes in 2005 and subsequently earned the Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) from UVSQ in 2010. In 2015, he completed a diploma in Management and Health Economics at Bocconi University in Milan, further enhancing his expertise in healthcare systems and oncology policy.
For more than two decades, Dr. Brain has been deeply engaged in clinical research dedicated to breast cancer and oncology in older adults, contributing substantively to shaping treatment paradigms for these populations. His leadership in geriatric oncology is widely recognized. He has chaired both the GERICO group of Unicancer and the DIALOG Intergroup, two national research bodies endorsed by the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) and specifically dedicated to improving cancer outcomes in older patients. He also chaired the EORTC Breast Cancer Group, and since 2021 has served as Secretary General of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Additionally, he is a member of the Executive Board of the Breast International Group (BIG), contributing to major international cooperative clinical trials.
Dr. Brain’s work has been especially influential in understanding the balance between treatment efficacy, frailty, and competing mortality risks in aging populations with breast cancer. His research leadership is best exemplified by the landmark ASTER 70s trial, the largest study ever conducted on the role of adjuvant chemotherapy for women aged 70 and older with luminal breast cancer. He presented the results at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, where he received the B.J. Kennedy Award for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology—one of the highest distinctions in the field. His contributions have further been recognized with the Michel Hery Geriatric Oncology Award (Monaco Age Oncology Conference, 2023) and the Prix Albert Ier of the Académie Nationale de Médecine (Biennale Monégasque de Cancérologie, 2024).
Throughout his career, Dr. Brain has held numerous leadership positions, including Deputy Director for Research at the René Huguenin Cancer Centre (2008–2010), Chairman of the Committee for the Evaluation of Clinical Research at Institut Curie (2010–2012), and Co-Head of the Unit for Coordination in Geriatric Oncology at Institut Curie in partnership with Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou. He is also a past president of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), where he continues to play an influential role in global geriatric oncology education.
As a researcher, Dr. Brain has contributed extensively to the oncology literature, with numerous publications in high-impact journals including Lancet Oncology, JAMA, Annals of Oncology, and Journal of Clinical Oncology. He serves on the editorial boards of The Breast and the Journal of Geriatric Oncology, and is an active member of ESMO and ASCO.
His work continues to shape the international landscape of breast cancer research and geriatric oncology, combining scientific rigor, multidisciplinary collaboration, and a long-standing commitment to improving cancer care for older adults.
He is a Member of the Editorial Board of OncoDaily.