Christina Davies coordinates the ATLAS (Adjuvant Tamoxifen Longer Against Shorter) project.
ATLAS is an international randomised clinical trial to determine reliably the optimal duration of adjuvant tamoxifen in early breast cancer. It is already established that about five years of tamoxifen provides a definite improvement in long-term survival and reduces the risk of recurrence and of developing a new cancer in the opposite breast. However, there is uncertainty about the optimal duration of tamoxifen and whether a woman should stop her tamoxifen after a few years or continue for several years longer. With about 1 million women now taking adjuvant tamoxifen, this question is of major importance and must be addressed reliably through large-scale randomised evidence. The main focus of ATLAS is to establish whether 10 years of tamoxifen confers greater benefit overall than just 5 years of the same treatment. The results from ATLAS in combination with the other smaller trials of the same question will affect the management of hundreds of thousands of women worldwide and potentially could avoid several thousands of unnecessary deaths, and although this is a study of tamoxifen duration, its results will be relevant to the appropriate duration of other, newer, hormonal treatments. ATLAS has now completed its recruitment phase with over 15,000 women randomised making it the largest cancer treatment trial so far undertaken.

There are no collaborations listed for this principal investigator.

Clarke M, Collins R, Darby S, Davies C, Elphinstone P, Evans E, Godwin J, Gray R, Hicks C, James S, MacKinnon E, McGale P, McHugh T, Peto R, Taylor C, Wang Y, Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) et al. 2005. Effects of radiotherapy and of differences in the extent of surgery for early breast cancer on local recurrence and 15-year survival: an overview of the randomised trials. Lancet, 366 (9503), pp. 2087-2106. Read abstract | Read more

In early breast cancer, variations in local treatment that substantially affect the risk of locoregional recurrence could also affect long-term breast cancer mortality. To examine this relationship, collaborative meta-analyses were undertaken, based on individual patient data, of the relevant randomised trials that began by 1995. Hide abstract

Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG). 2005. Effects of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for early breast cancer on recurrence and 15-year survival: an overview of the randomised trials. Lancet, 365 (9472), pp. 1687-1717. Read abstract | Read more

Quinquennial overviews (1985-2000) of the randomised trials in early breast cancer have assessed the 5 year and 10-year effects of various systemic adjuvant therapies on breast cancer recurrence and survival. Here, we report the 10-year and 15-year effects. Hide abstract

Maio HA. 2003. Importance of language. Lancet, 361 (9370), pp. 1750. | Read more