ABC

Disease site: Breast Cancer

Treatment Modality: Chemotherapy

Status: In active follow-up

Launched in 1993, following the publication of EBCTCG overview (Lancet 1992) accrual (3854 patients) ended in September 2000, with follow-up continuing into 2006.  The ABC Trial evaluates whether adjuvant chemotherapy and/or ovarian suppression add to the benefits of prolonged (5 years) tamoxifen for women with early breast cancer.  The ABC Trial is co-ordinated by the ICR - Clinical Trials & Statistics Unit in collaboration with; ISD Cancer Clinical Trials Team; CR-UK Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham; CTRU – University of Leeds, and Ministry of Health Clinical Trials & Epidemiology Research Unit, Singapore. International collaboration with centres in the Middle East, Asia, Malta, and New Zealand was an important aspect of this trial, with approximately 1/3 of patients recruited from our international centres.  Associated quality of life and economic evaluation studies continue to mature.

We have recently successfully applied for additional funding for translational research grants to further analyse tumour tissue to identify biological markers predictive of tumour response.  The ABC results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in New Orleans in 2004. Copies of the poster presentations can be found by accessing the journal articles detailed below.  The final analyses are being submitted for publication in 2006.

Chief Investigator: Professor J. Yarnold, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton. [Project No.0765]

Source of funding: Cancer Research UK, MRC.

ISRCTN: 31514446.

We are pleased to announce that the results of the ABC chemotherapy and ovarian suppression/ablation trials have now been published in the JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Here are the free access links to the articles:

Four results posters presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in New Orleans 2004:

Harnett, Bliss, Johnson et al, 2004. Thromboembolic events (TEE) in UK NCRI Adjuvant Breast Cancer (ABC) international trial – retrospective and prospective audits.

Yarnold, Bliss, Earl et al, 2004. Ovarian ablation (OA) in pre-menopausal women with early breast cancer prescribed 5 years tamoxifen (T) or T plus chemotherapy (CT) – results from the UK NCRI Adjuvant Breast Cancer (ABC) international trial of 2,144 patients.

Barrett-Lee, Bliss, Brunt et al, 2004. Polychemotherapy (CT) in pre- and post-menopausal women with early breast cancer prescribed 5 years tamoxifen (T) – results from the UK NCRI Adjuvant Breast Cancer (ABC) international trial in 1991 patients.

Brunt, Bliss, Benghiat et al, 2004. The Impact on Quality of Life of Adding Chemotherapy (CT) or Ovarian Suppression (OS) to Adjuvant Tamoxifen (TAM): Outcomes from the UK NCRI Adjuvant Breast Cancer (ABC) trial.