Success Story
Fostering Collaborations for Personalized Cancer Therapy
National Data Stream
A smooth workflow using cancer data can help to find the best therapy for patients with melanoma, breast, lung and colorectal cancer
In recent years, great progress has been made in tailoring cancer therapies to individual patients. The Swiss Precision Oncology National Data Stream project, led by Bernd Bodenmiller of ETH Zurich, aims to establish a comprehensive workflow starting with tumor samples to ultimately provide spatial proteomic and drug response information for highly personalized treatment recommendations.
The project focuses on patients with four types of cancer including melanoma, breast, lung and colorectal cancer. Tumor biopsies are collected and analyzed using advanced technologies such as Imaging Mass Cytometry, developed by Bodenmiller’s lab and implemented in several centers across Switzerland. The samples undergo spatial proteomics to characterize cell types and their biological processes within the tumor and its microenvironment to identify potential drug targets. In parallel, drug screening assays test tumor cells against a panel of approved cancer drugs to identify potential new treatment avenues.
Data infrastructure
The SPO has ensured that imaging and drug screening technologies were implemented in university hospitals. This decentralization will help promote long-term integration into clinical practice. Crucially, all the data generated—including clinical information, genomic analyses, imaging results, and the experimental findings—are consolidated in a central data infrastructure called the BioMedIT. This has been made possible through harmonization of all clinical and experimental data across Swiss hospitals—a key milestone. These data are then reviewed by the National Molecular Tumor Board, which was established for the SPO-NDS, to decide on individualized treatment recommendations.
It has taken considerable time to establish collaboration between scientists and clinicians. Regular discussions helped to align expectations and ensure that the data can be interpreted meaningfully by oncologists. “It’s a significant effort for researchers to adapt their technologies and results to clinical needs, and an equally significant effort for clinicians to engage deeply with research data,” Bodenmiller stresses. Without genuine interest and high motivation on both sides, this nationwide infrastructure could not have been developed, and the project would not have been possible.
The SPO project aims to enroll and analyze 300 patients, but Bodenmiller has an even broader vision: to eventually extend this approach to all cancer patients in need in Switzerland. However, the SPHN and PHRT programs, which funded SPO, are coming to an end. The primary goal for Bodenmiller and his collaborators is therefore to secure follow-up funding to keep the workflow alive. “It’s challenging to secure funding for translational work that bridges technology and clinical applications in Switzerland”, he says.
Truly visionary
“The SPHN-PHRT funding was truly visionary for Switzerland—it fostered collaborations that would never have happened otherwise”, he says. But now Switzerland risks losing its pioneering role, while other countries are currently investing heavily in similar initiatives. “We now have the infrastructure and expertise to roll out our tumor profiling more broadly, in addition to building powerful AI models based on clinical oncology data. But without continued support, this opportunity could be lost.”
Prof. Dr. Bernd Bodenmiller
