Systemic Therapy of Metastatic Breast Cancer

Abstract

Recent research has produced several new options for endocrine treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Among these, tamoxifen has become the most commonly used endocrine therapy for metastatic breast cancer due to its few side effects and an overall response rate of 35%. Despite an obvious clinical rationale for combined endocrine therapy, most trials have failed to show any benefit. Although data from trials combining tamoxifen with prednisolone or androgens seem promising, the use of combined endocrine therapy still has to be considered experimental. In patients with metastatic breast cancer, a combination of cytotoxic and endocrine therapy generally leads to a higher rate of remission than in patients treated with either modality alone. The increase in rate of response, however, is not followed by an increase in survival. The combined approach should therefore be explored further in randomized trials, preferably based upon a better understanding of tumor cell kinetics.

Key Words:

• Breast cancer
• metastases
• systemic therapy