“Breast cancer treatment is moving toward more precise subtyping and mechanisms, with multiple innovative treatment options continuously emerging. However, breakthroughs in innovative drugs are just the starting point. To truly benefit patients, we need to address the connection between education, accessibility, and standardized practice guided by guidelines,” said Guan Dongmei, General Manager of AstraZeneca China’s Oncology Business, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.
At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, AstraZeneca marked its seventh consecutive appearance at the Plenary Session. The company announced two landmark studies in breast cancer—SERENA-6 and DESTINY-Breast09—focusing on HR-positive/HER2-negative and HER2-positive subtypes, two critical molecular subtypes of breast cancer, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to precision diagnosis and treatment.
Against the backdrop of a rising number of breast cancer patients in China, Guan Dongmei emphasized the need to reflect on “how to translate these research findings into practical diagnosis and treatment practices that truly improve patient outcomes.”
Synergistic Advancement of Three Molecular Subtypes, Covering the Entire Treatment Cycle
As precision therapy for different breast cancer subtypes continues to advance, AstraZeneca has built a comprehensive treatment system covering three major molecular subtypes of breast cancer: HER2-positive, HR-positive/HER2-negative, and triple-negative. “Our marketed products and clinical pipelines cover all treatment stages from early to advanced, including neoadjuvant, adjuvant, first-line advanced, and post-progression therapies, with matched product layouts for each stage,” Guan noted.
At this year’s ASCO, AstraZeneca released results from the DESTINY-Breast09 study. This Phase III trial evaluated the benefit of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) combined with pertuzumab versus the traditional THP regimen (taxane + trastuzumab + pertuzumab) as first-line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Guan stated that the positive results of DESTINY-Breast09 are expected to provide more treatment options for such patients, offering new hope. T-DXd is a HER2-targeted ADC drug co-developed and commercialized globally by AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo.
For HR-positive patients, AstraZeneca’s SERENA-6 study was among the most talked-about outcomes at ASCO. This Phase III trial assessed camizestrant in combination with the widely approved CDK4/6 inhibitor for first-line treatment of HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer with ESR1 mutations, further validating camizestrant’s potential in this patient group.
Regarding triple-negative breast cancer, AstraZeneca is actively exploring new mechanisms and treatments. “We are investigating the use of ADC drugs in first-line treatment for triple-negative breast cancer and advancing them to earlier stages,” Guan explained, adding, “We hope these new ADC mechanisms will bring new options for patients and be introduced to the Chinese market as soon as possible.”
AstraZeneca’s progress in precision breast cancer treatment is backed by its strong R&D pipeline and diverse collaborations. As an innovative pharmaceutical company, it remains “patient-centric,” focusing on high-incidence oncology areas with urgent patient needs, continuously enriching its product pipeline through independent research, collaborative development, clinical trials on combination therapies, and business expansion to accelerate the translation of innovations for patients in China and globally.
From Guidelines to Grassroots Practice: Promoting Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment
While China’s breast cancer treatment guidelines have aligned closely with international standards in recent years, Guan highlighted that implementing these guidelines at different levels remains a challenge. “Bridging the ‘last mile’ from guidelines to grassroots healthcare is still difficult, especially in first diagnosis, referral, and long-term management, where some patients miss the optimal treatment window.”
To address this, the Breast Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCE) project, led by the National Cancer Center with support from AstraZeneca, is advancing a full-chain solution covering “precision diagnosis, standardized treatment, and digital management.” To date, the BCCE project has been implemented in over 100 hospitals nationwide, benefiting tens of thousands of breast cancer patients.
The project establishes a clinical mechanism centered on MDT (multidisciplinary team) collaboration and a three-level (provincial, municipal, and district/county) integrated breast cancer diagnosis and treatment network. Additionally, AI-assisted follow-up tools have been introduced to track patient revisit frequency, medication adherence, and treatment responses in some hospitals, improving the efficiency of long-term patient management.
“China still faces uneven distribution of medical resources, leading to gaps between guidelines and clinical practice. Promoting standardized clinical practice under guidelines requires multi-level educational activities and MDT collaboration to enhance breast cancer diagnosis and treatment capabilities in regional medical institutions and develop specialized centers, providing more precise treatment for patients,” Guan emphasized. She expressed hope that supporting the BCCE project will help replicate and spread standardized capabilities, enabling more grassroots hospitals to offer standardized breast cancer treatment and shift from a disease-centric to a patient-centric model.
Enhancing Drug Accessibility to Unlock Innovation Value
Accessibility is key to implementing precision therapy. Guan noted that AstraZeneca has continuously promoted the registration and inclusion of innovative breast cancer drugs in China’s national medical insurance catalog, significantly reducing patient burdens and expanding coverage. “We actively participate in medical insurance negotiations, support patient education, and academic exchanges for doctors to ensure valuable innovations reach those in need.” The company is also working on decentralized research networks and including diverse populations in clinical trials to reduce treatment gaps, improve outcomes, and drive the translation of research into practice, contributing to a “shared health” future.
In patient care, AstraZeneca supports the “Healthy Her” public welfare project, collaborating with breast cancer organizations to disseminate standardized medical knowledge, emphasize the importance of chronic disease management, and focus on quality of life and positive attitudes throughout treatment.
From research exploration to building standardized diagnosis systems, and from enhancing drug accessibility to patient care, AstraZeneca is systematically advancing breast cancer treatment toward “standardization, precision, and sustainability.”
“Only when drugs are accessible, standards are implemented at the grassroots level, and patient understanding and cooperation improve can we truly achieve the therapeutic value we pursue,” Guan Dongmei concluded.
Toward the “Healthy China 2030” goal of a 46.6% five-year cancer survival rate, AstraZeneca will continue to focus on patients, driving scientific innovation, standardized diagnosis and treatment, and improving medical accessibility to contribute to better outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Related topics:
Aquablation Therapy: New Hope for Men with Enlarged Prostate
40% of perimenopausal women have untreated VMS
New Robotic Prostate Cancer Treatment Causes Fewer Side Effects
