The China Medicine Education Association (CMEA) is a national level, academic, non-profit organisation. The Breast Disease Professional Committee of CMEA (BDPCC) is a secondary branch of the CMEA, which was established on 30 January 2015. The BDPCC has 415 members, most of whom are breast surgeons, oncologists and pathologists from 30 provinces in China. The BDPCC aims to contribute to the improvement of standards of care and quality of life of patients by participating in national and international clinical trials, offering continuous education for physicians, holding breast cancer conferences and symposiums as well as launching an important multicentre prospective observational study with the purpose of collecting breast cancer tissue samples for further sequencing and analysis. Bringing local experience and knowledge, the BDPCC will contribute to better serve breast cancer physicians and patients, both in China and beyond

The Hong Kong Breast Oncology Group (HKBOG) is a Hong Kong-based non-profitable organization led by key opinion breast oncology leaders (KOL), including both clinical oncologists and medical oncologists serving at the main cancer centres in the public sector. HKBOG is dedicated to facilitating academic breast cancer research within Hong Kong and to strengthen its collaboration within the Asia-Pacific Region and internationally. The HKBOG serves to facilitate and accelerate breast cancer research at a society level by enhancing seamless cooperation among its members and other co-operative partners and academic networks while working in partnership with pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry yet preserving scientific and professional independence.

The Korean Cancer Study Group (KCSG) is a multicentre oncology clinical trials group representing Korea. It was established on 12 June 1998 and constantly attempts to advance oncology through collaborative cancer studies, presenting rational policy to improve anti-cancer therapies and clinical trial practices, with the ultimate goal of fostering and enhancing public health. We have 720 members from 110 institutes or hospitals in Korea, and most of our members are well-trained and highly motivated medical oncologists. KCSG consists of a protocol review committee, an IRB (Institutional Review Board), a planning committee, an education committee, an international relationship committee, a public relations committee, and 10 disease committees including the Breast Cancer Committee. KCSG has its own data centre. CRAs (Clinical Research Associates), data managers and biostatisticians from the data centre work on study coordination, regulatory affairs, monitoring and data management. We also hold meetings for education, such as the Clinical Research Methodology Workshop, the Clinical Trial Education Workshop, the Institutional Review Board Workshop, and Collaborative R & D (Research & Development) Symposiums. Recently, an independent QC (Quality Control) committee was incorporated into the data centre to facilitate quality issues, which is outsourced. Our global partners for cooperative activities include ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group), the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer), AGITG (Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group), SWOG (South West Oncology Group) and TRIO (Translational Research in Oncology).

Taiwan Cooperative Oncology Group is the first organisation in Taiwan to conduct multi-centre clinical trials for cancer treatment. It can utilise the resources of patients effectively, ensure the safety and ethics of clinical trials, establish therapies through a strict monitoring system for data gathering and patient-follow-up. By these, the integration of diagnostic technology and consensus of treatment for cancer in Taiwan are possible.

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie (AGO) is an independent association of the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) and the German Cancer Society (DKG). AGO-B pursues the promotion of science and research, as well as the training and further education of physicians in the field of gynaecological oncology, including breast cancer. The association deals with all clinical, scientific and organisational issues in this field.

The Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) was established by the Danish Surgical Society in 1976 with the aim of ensuring optimal diagnostic procedures and treatment of breast cancer nation-wide and thereby improving prognosis. To achieve this, DBCG has since the beginning of its activities prepared evidence-based guidelines for the whole country regarding diagnostic procedures and treatment (surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy). These have continuously been further developed and evaluated in randomized trials and quality-control studies.

GEICAM is a scientific association of public interest established in 1995 and also has been working as a private non-profit foundation since 2009. It is integrated by almost 800 experts working in 184 Spanish hospitals. The Group was set up with an ambitious and innovative objective that has been held firm since 1995: to help Spanish researchers be able to carry out their own clinical research projects in breast cancer, to contribute to the promotion on continuous medical education that allows professionals to keep their knowledge up to date, as well as to provide information to patients and society about this disease and to promote patient´s participation in clinical trials. Having been active for more than 20 years, GEICAM has become the leading academic group in clinical, epidemiological and translational breast cancer research in Spain. It is also highly recognised at an international level. Since its establishment, GEICAM has conducted over a 100 studies with more than 46.000 participants. For more information, visit the official website and follow us on Twitter @GEICAM, @GEICAMujer , Facebook.com/GEICAM , Linkedin.com/GEICAM and Instagram @geicam_

The Hellenic Society of Breast Surgeons (HSBS) was founded in 2000 by Professor of Medicine Christos Markopoulos, and is composed of 320 members originating from most Surgical Breast Units in Greece as well as participating in the development of International and Greek clinical trials. HSBS aims, in addition to the scientific communication of its members, to establish common guidelines for treatments in all breast units, quality control, screening programmes and the organisation of educational courses. To date the society has organised 56 scientific conferences, a Pan-Hellenic Congress, as well as Annual Postgraduate Specialist Courses.

The Hellenic Oncology Research Group is a non-profit organisation composed of clinical Oncologists, Pathologists, Radiotherapists and other Scientists working in the field of Oncology. HORG aims to conduct clinical and basic research in the field of oncology, provide clinical knowledge of the best clinical options, new treatments and diagnoses, promote Clinical Research in Greece, organise seminars, scientific meetings and scientific symposia as well as training students and qualified doctors by organising training programs, seminars and educational scholarships.

The IBCSG is one of the world’s leading groups in breast cancer research. The IBCSG pioneers research in combined hormonal therapy and chemotherapy, timing and duration of adjuvant therapies and quality of life of breast cancer patients. The latest generation of clinical trials in the adjuvant setting addresses tailored treatment for subgroups of patients, as IBCSG also expands its research into neoadjuvant treatment and therapy for advanced disease. In addition to clinical trials, IBCSG conducts extensive programs in translational research, database studies, quality of life and statistical methodology. The goal of clinical research within IBCSG is to give the patients a longer survival and symptom-free period after primary treatment, and to improve their quality of life.

International Collaborative Cancer Group

The Institut Jules Bordet Clinical Trials Support Unit (IJB/CTSU) is a structure gathering the expertise and resources required to conduct high quality clinical research. IJB/CTSU was created to assist researchers in the conduct of clinical trials for all cancer types, for clinical trials phases I, II and III, for investigator initiated trials (sponsored by IJB) and for clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies or other academic institutions. The CTSU expertise covers project management, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, data management, monitoring, central imaging review and translational research. Moreover, the CTSU benefits from a close collaboration with the IJB medical team.

The Norwegian Breast Cancer Group was founded in 1981. The initiative came from breast cancer surgeons and oncologists. The NBCG makes recommendations for treatment programs to ensure that women all over Norway have the possibility to receive the best treatment. These recommendations are published on www.nbcg.net. The NBCG is funded by the Norwegian Cancer Society. The Department of Health has recently invited NBCG to discussions with respect to making official treatment programs. NBCG might therefore in the near future get a more formal position.

Swedish Association of Breast Oncologists

The UNICANCER Group brings together the French Comprehensive Cancer Centres and their Federation around a shared medical scientific project and pools their strategic activities: research, purchasing, human resources, hospital strategy, quality control and information systems. The UNICANCER Breast Group (UCBG) is an intergroup of UNICANCER dedicated to conducting multicentre national and international breast cancer clinical trials. The intergroup collaborates with a hundred health centres in France and abroad.

The Grupo de Estudios Clinicos Oncologicos Peruano (GECOPERU), a multidisciplinary academic group, was founded in 2005 as a legal entity. GECOPERU develops cancer research in the fields of basic sciences, epidemiology, translational research and clinical trials, with the aim of achieving new discoveries and setting new standards in the management of cancer, in order to translate this knowledge into increased possibilities for the healing and Survival of cancer patients in Peru.

The Uruguayan Cooperative Cancer Group (GOCUR) was founded by the Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology of Uruguay on 2 June 2005, obtaining legal status in June 2007. GOCUR develops its activities in coordination with the National Cancer Control Program. GOCUR promotes and develops clinical or basic-clinical studies related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, through cooperative and multidisciplinary research with a national and international scope. All this with the aim of advancing disease control, with an emphasis on the care of cancer patients, the appropriate use of resources and a strict adherence to the ethical principles of research.

Iranian Cancer Research Center (ICRC) is a well-known comprehensive cancer center, located at the Tajrish Shohada hospital, Tehran, Iran, and was established in 2005. At ICRC, around 5000 breast cancer patients and 600 new breast cancer patients are managed annually. Currently, 3 hospitals are affiliated with ICRC, including Tajrish Shohada Hospital, Khatam Hospital, and Azar Center.