In patients with pancreatic cancer, ATM expression in their tumours was not a prognostic factor.33 In contrast, expression of ATM in colorectal cancer was related to good survival in a large series of patients, although only a subset was treated with genotoxic therapy.34 In oesophageal cancer and early stage breast cancer, ATM expression did not predict response to therapy.35, 36. This evidence concerns the gene ATM and breast carcinoma.