Metastatic breast cancer: the role of chemotherapy

Treatment of metastatic breast cancer remains in flux. A flurry of new chemotherapeutic agents with activity against this disease has been identified in recent years, yet breast cancer remains a cause of significant morbidity and mortality. The taxanes in particular appear to hold promise for improved outcome and, in fact, are the treatment of choice for salvage therapy. Using the taxanes in high-dose regimens, with stem cell transplantation, in alternative schedules, and in combination regimens, including with biologic treatments, is the focus of future potential advances. Continued investigative energy and the discovery of novel drugs and therapeutic approaches for addition to established techniques hopefully will improve outcomes in the next generation of treatment strategies for metastatic breast cancer.