Research Christophe Van Berckelaer

Abstract

IBC is characterized by a rapid onset, redness and swelling of the breast. Despite an aggressive therapy with chemotherapeutics, radiation and surgery the survival rate is the worst among all breast cancers with less than 40 % survival after 5 years. Therefore, further research is necessary. Although IBC and non-IBC (nIBC) tumours are different diseases in many ways, our lab showed that genetically an IBC tumour and a nIBC tumour are not so different after all. Based on these findings we think that the non-cancerous cells that are part of the tumour or the patient's response to the tumour can explain the difference. Thus we are interested in how the surrounding tissue and especially the immune cells respond to IBC and how this is different from nIBC. To examine this we will start our research by determining what types of cells are present in both tumour types and whether they are functioning as they should be. By correlating the presence of certain cell types or functional markers with response to treatment, survival information and properties of the tumour we can see what type of cells or functional markers could predict prognosis or response to therapy and can be called biomarkers. Furthermore, the combination of this information with data about which genes in a tumour sample are over- or underexpressed could lead to a better understanding of the genetic pathways that are important in IBC growth. If we can alter these pathways, we might find new targets for therapy.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Dam Peter
• Co-promoter: Colpaert Cecile
• Co-promoter: Trinh Xuan Bich
• Co-promoter: Van Laere Steven
• Fellow: Van Berckelaer Christophe

Research team(s)

• Center for Oncological Research (CORE)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

IBC is characterized by a rapid onset, redness and swelling of the breast. Despite an aggressive therapy with chemotherapeutics, radiation and surgery the survival rate is the worst among all breast cancers with less than 40 % survival after 5 years. Therefore, further research is necessary. Although IBC and non-IBC (nIBC) tumours are different diseases in many ways, our lab showed that genetically an IBC tumour and a nIBC tumour are not so different after all. Based on these findings we think that the non-cancerous cells that are part of the tumour or the patient's response to the tumour can explain the difference. Thus we are interested in how the surrounding tissue and especially the immune cells respond to IBC and how this is different from nIBC. To examine this we will start our research by determining what types of cells are present in both tumour types and whether they are functioning as they should be. By correlating the presence of certain cell types or functional markers with response to treatment, survival information and properties of the tumour we can see what type of cells or functional markers could predict prognosis or response to therapy and can be called biomarkers. Furthermore, the combination of this information with data about which genes in a tumour sample are over- or underexpressed could lead to a better understanding of the genetic pathways that are important in IBC growth. If we can alter these pathways, we might find new targets for therapy.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Dam Peter
• Co-promoter: Van Laere Steven
• Fellow: Van Berckelaer Christophe

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project will be centred on a large, considering the rare nature of IBC, database of more than 200 IBC patients diagnosed in GZA Sint-Augustinus, Antwerp; Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp and Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseile since 1997. We have access to detailed clinical data, up to date survival information and affymetrix gene expression profiles. Besides we also have large numbers of nIBC patients in these centra and due to the large IBC database subtype specific- and matched research will be possible. Although there is only an international consensus on IBC diagnosis since 2011, these 3 research institutions have always used the same clinical and pathological criteria to diagnose IBC. Because this is an innovative study, many of the immune parameters have never been looked at in IBC. Therefore it is impossible to do a power-analysis for the whole study. However, if we look at the proportions of different types of immune cells in nIBC  and at our preliminary analysis that showed an enrichment for TAM and activated B-cells we should be able to show proportional changes since the absolute number of TILs in IBC and nIBC are probably the same. We calculated that with a sample size of +/- 200 patients in each group we will have 80% power to detect a difference between proportions of at least 10% for TAM (e.g. IBC: 15% vs nIBC: 5%), and 12% for B-cells (e.g. IBC: 32% vs nIBC: 20%), using a two group chi-square test with a 0.05 two-sided significance level.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Dam Peter
• Fellow: Van Berckelaer Christophe

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project