Université Paris Cité is a central player in the fight against breast cancer in Île-de-France. University research is organized around large joint units, associating the university with major partners such as Inserm and AP-HP. This collaboration fosters exchanges between fundamental, translational, and clinical research, allowing for the confrontation of knowledge on the biological mechanisms of tumors with clinical observations.
Research teams are often based within university hospitals, such as at Saint-Louis, facilitating the work of clinicians close to scientific teams and patients. The Saint-Louis Research Institute (IRSL), a unit under the supervision of Université Paris Cité, Inserm, and the CNRS, is a significant hub for this hospital-university research, focusing on immunology, hematology, and oncology.
At the Cordeliers Research Center (CRC), also co-supervised by Inserm and Sorbonne Université, researchers study the biological mechanisms of cancers, interactions between tumor cells, the immune system, and their environment. Work on immune responses and molecular and immunological approaches contributes to understanding breast cancer.
The partnership with Gustave Roussy illustrates a comprehensive approach. The CANTO cohort follows over 12,000 women treated for localized breast cancer, collecting data on their quality of life, family situation, and professional life. A study from this cohort, Canto-Work, analyzed the conditions for returning to work after breast cancer.
The Institut Curie is another key partner. Links with Université Paris Cité are strong, particularly in the field of oncogenetics, with Prof. Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, a professor at the university and head of the genetics department at Institut Curie, who studies hereditary predispositions to breast and ovarian cancers.
At Saint-Louis Hospital, an AP-HP establishment and site of the AP-HP. Nord – Université Paris Cité Cancer Institute, clinical research enables the proposal of innovative protocols and the evaluation of new molecules. The Sénopôle works with the oncogenetics unit to identify patients at high hereditary risk.
Training healthcare professionals is essential. Université Paris Cité offers courses on the screening, diagnosis, and management of breast pathologies, as well as in oncogenetics. Collaborations with AP-HP, Institut Curie, and Gustave Roussy enrich these training programs.
As part of October Rose, Saint-Louis Hospital is organizing an information, exchange, and physical activity day on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in its main hall. The event will bring together prevention and support stakeholders such as the Sénopôle Saint-Louis, the oncogenetics department, the CRCDC Île-de-France, and the Ligue contre le cancer – Comité de Paris.
An 'Associative Rose Village' will allow attendees to meet associations like Patients en Réseau – Mon réseau Cancer du sein, Cancer Support France, and RoseUp. A wellness area will offer physical activities and yoga sessions, in partnership with AstraZeneca and Gilead.
The fight against breast cancer relies on a chain of expertise from laboratories to hospital departments, supported by research, institutional cooperation, innovation, and quality of care, as well as patient information and support.
