The first study to compare survival between women with breast cancer whose treatment was based on consensus guidelines and those whose treatment was not shows that adhering to established guidelines improves survival and reduces the risk of recurrence.

The study retrospectively examined whether the systemic therapy prescribed after surgery for women with early-stage breast cancer was consistent with treatment guidelines established at the time. Systemic therapy includes chemotherapy and hormonal therapy and is designed to reach cancer cells that may have spread beyond the original tumor site. The study and an accompanying editorial were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.