A new partnership to advance the treatment of women's cancer

We believe that technology has the potential to transform healthcare and improve the lives of people around the world. That’s why, today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the Institute of Women's Cancers, which is founded by France’s world-renowned cancer research and treatment center Institut Curie; Université PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres University), the leading research university in France; and Inserm, France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research. This partnership will involve research into how AI tools can help better address cancer, along with sharing helpful, science-based health information and supporting postdoctoral researchers with funding. Together, we're embarking on a journey to revolutionize the fight against cancer, particularly focusing on difficult-to-treat women’s cancers like triple-negative breast cancer.

Meeting the urgency of the challenge

Breast and gynecological cancers have a devastating effect on women around the world. Breast cancer diagnoses are prevalent, with almost 60,000 cases annually in France and more than 2 million women diagnosed globally in 2022, according to the most recent data available. And some gynecological cancers, like cervical cancer, are among the most common women’s cancers worldwide.

Understanding these complex diseases is challenging, yet essential to reducing death rates.

That's why we're proud to support the new Institute of Women's Cancers in its mission. By leveraging the combined expertise of Institut Curie, Université PSL and Inserm, the Institute is uniquely positioned to drive large-scale research to explore the origins of tumors, their evolution over time and the specific characteristics of rarer and more complex cancers.

Applying AI’s power to cancer research

This new partnership combines Institut Curie’s world-class expertise in research and medicine with Google's advanced AI capabilities: we'll research how AI-based tools can help predict the progression of cancer and the risk of relapse for each patient, with the goal of developing more precise and effective treatments.

We'll also explore the identification of new biomarkers that can predict which patients will benefit from specific therapies, especially where current treatments are not always effective.

“Combining our expertise in research with Google's advanced technological capabilities offers hope for significant advancements in our mission to improve our understanding and prediction of cancer's progression, and develop more effective treatments,” says Anne Vincent-Salomon, director of the Institute of Women’s Cancers.

To further empower the Institute's innovative approach to holistic cancer care — bringing together experts like postdoctoral researchers, clinicians, sociologists and economists — we will also provide AI skills training for professionals at the Institute of Women's Cancers and Institut Curie.

Giving the general public the right information

Access to the right information at the right time can lead to better health outcomes and save lives, which is why we’re committed to providing accessible, understandable and culturally relevant health information. YouTube will host and promote Institut Curie's channel, sharing reliable scientific content to combat misinformation, raise awareness about risk factors and increase screening and follow-up rates. Our partnership with Institut Curie extends our commitment to health, joining other French partners like AP-HP and the Foundation for Medical Research on YouTube.

Fostering collaboration with the academic community

To recognize the legacy of Marie Curie, a world-renowned scientist and two-time Nobel Prize winner who dedicated her life to global scientific collaboration, Google.org is providing more than $2 million in funding to Université PSL to accelerate applied AI scientific research.

In addition to the research partnership with the Institute of Women's Cancers, the program will fund research led by Université PSL postdoctoral fellows using AI to improve breast cancer outcomes. The initiative will also enable Université PSL and Google Research teams to share knowledge and promote broader scientific advancement.

Postdoctoral researchers will also benefit from the experiences and case studies shared by from Google researchers under the supervision of Joëlle Barral, a senior director of Research at Google DeepMind, and Cédric Denis-Rémis, vice president of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development at Université PSL.

With this new partnership, we look forward to using technology to better understand the biology of women's cancers, treat and prevent them.