TA/01 (also known as TransATAC)

There have been many advances in the treatment of breast cancer over the last few years which have led to a decrease in recurrence of the disease and increased disease-free survival in some patients. Endocrine (hormonal) therapy for breast cancer is one of the most successful treatments available for breast cancer. However, such treatments (including aromatase inhibitors and selective oestrogen receptor modulators [SERMS] such as tamoxifen - both used in the ATAC Trial) are not effective in all women with many suffering a relapse of their disease despite such intervention.

Studies such as the ATAC trial, and a growing body of retrospective and preclinical evidence, suggests that there may be a way of selecting the most active endocrine therapy based on tumour molecular characteristics (i.e., the biological make-up of the tumour) and also suggests mechanisms for endocrine therapy resistance (when the treatment is no longer effective).

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease - there are different types and people respond differently to the same treatment - and laboratory data indicate that the major differential effectiveness between aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen may be confined to a small group of HER2/EGFR positive patients.

TA/01 is a translational study and has been set up as a follow-up of the ATAC trial to try to identify the molecular characteristics of tumours in patients that benefit more from anastrozole than tamoxifen and pinpoint the resistance mechanisms which still allow many patients to relapse or develop contralateral disease. In order to do this, tissue samples taken at the time of surgery of the original breast cancer from ATAC patients are being requested from pathologists. These are then being sent to the laboratories at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

The findings of TA/01 could help to predict the most appropriate treatment from pre-treatment diagnostic evaluation of the tumour with a view to guiding the subsequent treatment of patients.

Management

The Chief Investigators of TA/01 are Professor Mitch Dowsett and Professor D Craig Allred. The study is the responsibility of the ATAC Pathology Sub-committee, and ultimately the ATAC Steering Committee.

Mitch Dowsett is head of the Joint Institute of Cancer Research/Royal Marsden NHS Trust, Academic Department of Biochemistry. After obtaining his BSc from Imperial College, London University in 1973 and his PhD from Chester Beatty Cancer Research Institute, London University in 1976, Professor Dowsett is an active member of numerous cancer committees and he is particularly involved in clinical trials, being a member of the Steering Committee of the ATAC Trial and co-chair of the Translational Research Committee of the HERA Trial. He is the present chairman of the multidisciplinary British Breast Group and is author of over 300 published papers related to breast cancer.

Craig Allred is an internationally recognised expert in breast pathology and research. He has served in numerous advisory positions in government, industry, and publishing on matters of scientific policy, research, and clinical care relating to breast cancer. He has been a member of the organising committee of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium for over 10 years. Professor Allred has authored over 140 book chapters, scientific articles, editorials, and reviews on many breast cancer-related issues.

Co-ordination and Funding

The study is co-ordinated from the Clinical Trials Group of the Department of Surgery at University College London (UCL) and is funded by AstraZeneca and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.


TA/01 Eligible Countries (in pink)

TA/01 (also known as TransATAC)