NCCN Pours New Grant Money Into Research Aimed at Improving Care for People with Metastatic Breast Cancer

New NCCN grants aim to change care for people living with metastatic breast cancer (release Dec. 11, 2025)

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announced a new round of grants to support research aimed at improving care for people with metastatic breast cancer, commonly called mBC. The funding is meant to push through practical studies that could change how doctors treat metastatic disease, expand access to better options, and help translate research into the NCCN clinical practice guidelines. The announcement came in a PR Newswire release on Dec. 11, 2025. Source: PR Newswire.

Who received awards — and what the grants are supposed to do

The NCCN release said multiple investigators and care teams at academic centers and community programs won awards. It named lead investigators and institutions in the release and described several project topics, including efforts to test ways to better manage symptoms, refine treatment sequencing, and close gaps in care for under-served groups. Where the release listed dollar figures or the length of awards, it noted either the total program budget or individual grant amounts; when specific funding details were not disclosed, the announcement said they would be provided in follow-up materials.

The selection process, according to the release, favored proposals that promise quick, practical gains for patients — projects that can produce usable evidence in a short time, can be run across several hospitals or clinics, and that align with priorities already laid out in NCCN guidelines. The release also emphasized projects that address disparities in access or outcomes, meaning studies that include community-based sites and diverse patient groups were prioritized.

In short: the awards are not basic-science grants. They back clinical and health-services work — the sort of research that can change day-to-day care, inform guideline updates, or lead directly to new clinical trials focused on real-world problems patients face.

How metastatic breast cancer affects people and why this research matters

Metastatic breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. People living with mBC often face a longer, more complex course of care than those with earlier-stage cancer. Treatments can control disease for years in some patients, but the disease ultimately remains life-limiting for many.

Standard treatments for mBC include hormone therapy, targeted drugs, chemotherapy and, increasingly, combinations tailored to the cancer’s biology. Still, doctors and patients wrestle with questions about which therapies to use first, how to manage side effects, when to switch treatments, and how to make sure older adults and minority patients get the same benefits seen in clinical trials.

Research that speeds answers to those questions can change how clinics treat patients, reduce unnecessary side effects, and help more people get treatments that actually improve quality and length of life. That’s why the NCCN’s focus on practical, guideline-informing studies could matter faster than a typical laboratory discovery.

Voices on the awards: what leaders, researchers and advocates said

The NCCN framed the grants as a move to translate guideline priorities into tested solutions. NCCN leaders noted a desire to fund work that can be adopted broadly across different care settings. Investigators quoted in the release described projects that test ways to streamline care, improve symptom control, or expand clinical-trial access.

Patient advocates welcomed the emphasis on equity and real-world outcomes. Advocates said the changes they most want to see are simpler care pathways, clearer decisions about treatment trade-offs, and stronger efforts to include people from communities that are often left out of trials. The release captured these perspectives as a shared call for research that makes a measurable difference in patients’ lives.

What these grants could mean for patients and clinicians in practice

Expect practical, stepwise progress rather than overnight breakthroughs. Projects focused on care delivery, symptom management and trial access can produce actionable findings within a few years. If a study shows a new way to sequence drugs reduces side effects without costing benefits in disease control, guideline panels could consider that evidence and update recommendations — a process that itself can take months to a year after convincing results appear.

There are limits. Even the best practice-changing study needs replication and broad adoption before patients everywhere see the benefit. Results may not apply to every setting, and some projects may reach dead ends. Still, the program’s design — favoring multisite, real-world studies — increases the odds that useful, implementable findings will emerge.

About the NCCN Oncology Research Program and next steps

The NCCN Oncology Research Program runs targeted funding efforts to move guideline priorities into practice. Past rounds have supported studies that influenced care patterns and helped shape recommendations. The organization said it will post details about awardees and project timelines in upcoming announcements and through NCCN communication channels, and that it expects some funded projects to lead to clinical trials or guideline reviews within a few years.

Readers interested in the program should watch for NCCN’s follow-up notices, which will list award recipients, timelines, and any public opportunities to follow or participate in studies.

Photo: Tara Winstead / Pexels

Sources

• prnewswire.com