[Chemotherapy of advanced breast cancer]

The frontline chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer has been either CMF or CAF and the combinations can obtain an overall response rate exceeding 50%, including complete responses of 10-15% and median survival times of 12-18 months. Complete responders have survived longer than patients with partial responses or stable diseases. Consequently, high dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation has been investigated in order to obtain more complete responses and ultimately to obtain a cure in patients responding to induction chemotherapy. Seventeen to 30% of patients who became complete responses have maintained continuously complete responders. Taxol and CI941 are promising agents under investigation.