A 52-year-old woman with ER-positive, HER2-negative, grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast (T2N0M0) undergoes wide local excision. The ATAC trial is most relevant to deciding which of the following adjuvant systemic therapy options?

• A Chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide versus docetaxel-based regimens
• B Trastuzumab duration — 6 months versus 12 months
• C Neoadjuvant versus adjuvant chemotherapy sequencing
• D Tamoxifen versus anastrozole as adjuvant endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women ✓

Explanation

The ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial was a landmark study demonstrating that anastrozole (an aromatase inhibitor) was superior to tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer, reducing recurrence by approximately 26% over 5 years. This trial established aromatase inhibitors as the preferred adjuvant endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women. The other options refer to different clinical trials unrelated to ATAC.

Reference: Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.