IMAGEOMICS: Optimizing Benefit/Risk Ratio in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Radiotherapy: Identifying Molecular, Cellular and Imaging Signatures of Breast Cancer Heterogeneity to Improve Personalized Therapeutic Strategies for Synergistic Treatment Combinations

The main aims of IMAGEOMICS are to improve benefit/risk ratio of breast cancer (BC) patients by identifying patients with a predicted favourable response to combined radiotherapy (RT) and immunotherapy and to develop new imaging modality with increased diagnostic potential and reduced ionizing radiation exposure. These aims will be realized through the following specific objectives: a) investigate how RT influences immunogenic heterogeneity of BC cells of different molecular subtypes using in vitro and in vivo approaches; b) test the applicability of nanoparticles for X ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) to be used for the detection of BC heterogeneity; c) to identify local and systemic signatures that predict patient benefit from combined RT and immunotherapy and test their clinical applicability; d) to integrate data retrieved from experimental models and human studies with epidemiological data to build up a protocol for optimal patient stratification.