The Breast International Group (BIG) Patient Partnership: Embedding meaningful patient involvement in the design and conduct of breast cancer clinical research
Involving those with a lived experience of the relevant condition in the design of clinical research ensures that studies address real-world needs and priorities, enabling more relevant, ethical, and impactful outcomes. In 2019, the Breast International Group (BIG) established the BIG Patient Partnership to facilitate the meaningful involvement of people affected by breast cancer in the design and conduct of its studies. The members provide a strong international patient voice in academic breast cancer research. The partnership is based on 4 pillars: foundational and ongoing training, meaningful and systematic involvement, patients as a strategic driving force in BIG's research, and promoting the value of the patients' voice in research. In this paper, we describe a model to enable performing transnational clinical research for and with patient partners. We hope to inspire organizations and people who are burdened by cancer from different cultural backgrounds to develop an interactive, engaging, and empowering process for researchers and patient partners to work together.
Authors
- Carmela Caballero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3586-6598)
- Boon Chua (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7561-7174)
- Judith M. Bliss (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7957-7424)
- David Cameron (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2717-7979)
- Concepción Biurrún
- Carolyn Straehle
- Christine Hodgdon
- Seamus O’Reilly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1873-450X)
- Mairead MacKenzie
- Lydie Meheus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4366-0343)
- Judy Needham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6327-176X)
- Eva Schumacher-Wulf
- Julia Maués (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4478-6952)
- L. Belhadi
- Hilary Stobart
- Virginie Adam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5271-7287)
- Martine Piccart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9068-8504)
- Tanja Spanic
- Ana Casas
- Orsolya Birta
- Leslie Gilhams
Institutions
- Advocates for Youth (US)
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE)
- NHS Lothian (GB)
- Institute of Cancer Research (GB)
- Canadian Cancer Society (CA)
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation (US)
- Institut Jules Bordet (BE)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Breast International Group (BE)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Breast Cancer Trials (AU)
- Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (ES)
- Cancer Trials Ireland (IE)
- Europa Donna (IT)
- Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (ES)
- The Patients Association (GB)
- Anticancer Fund (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Breast
- Published
- 2025-11-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.breast.2025.104642
- Primary Topic
- Mental Health and Patient Involvement
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00