Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG)
EBCTCG Collaborators: login here
EBCTCG, 2012-15: Rationale, timetable and dates for 2012 (December 2011)
EBCTCG 6 (2010-2012) Main Variable List (Draft of June 2010)
EBCTCG 6 (2010-2012) DCIS Variable List (Draft of June 2010)
400,000 women in 400 randomised trials
Every five years, CTSU brings together updated data on each woman randomised into all trials of the treatment of operable breast cancer. The EBCTCG process was initiated in 1983 and the first cycle collected data for hormonal and cytotoxic therapy in 1985 [6a, 6b]. The collaboration was extended in the 1990s to all aspects of early breast cancer management [7a - 7f] and its results informed the year 2000 NIH consensus development conference on the treatment of early breast cancer [8]. The 2005 report on chemotherapy and endocrine therapy [9a] shows the substantial effects on 15-year survival of the chemotherapy regimens (such as about 6 months of FAC or FEC in women aged <70) and hormonal regimens (such as at least 5 years of tamoxifen in women with ER+ disease) that were being tested in the 1980s. The 2005 report on surgery and radiotherapy [9b] shows that treatments that substantially improve local control have little effect on breast cancer mortality during the first few years, but definite effects by 15 years.
Results from the fifth cycle are emerging (ER-poor [10a], DCIS [10b], aromatase inhibitors [10c], endocrine therapy [10d], radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery [10e], chemotherapy [10f]) while the sixth (2010-2012) cycle of data collection is in progress.
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