Mackey et al(11) provided evidence in their 10-year analysis of the randomised BCIRG 001 trial that TAC for the treatment of patients with node-positive, early breast cancer provides long-term disease-free survival and overall survival benefits compared to fluorouracil (5-FU), doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (FAC), irrespective of nodal, hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status. This evidence concerns the gene ERBB2 and breast carcinoma.