[A case of advanced breast cancer with multiple bone metastases responding to docetaxel and high-dose toremifene as...

A 55-year old woman, who underwent left mastectomy (Bt+Ax), was revealed to have sternum metastasis by postoperative 99mTc bone scanning(T1bN1M1). She received daily aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole), as a primary systemic endocrine therapy, and biweekly pamidronate for metastatic breast cancer. However, she depended on folk medicine a year later, at which time the primary treatment was discontinued. Another year later, the bone metastases developed with increased serum levels of tumor markers (CEA, CA19-9, and NCC-ST-439). Then, she underwent three different regimens of systemic chemo-endocrine therapy over the following three years, including CAF+MPA as the first-line, paclitaxel (PTX) + anastrozole as the second-line, and S-1+anastrozole as the third-line regimen. She recently completed 10 courses of the fourth-line regimen[tri-weekly docetaxel (DOC) and high-dose toremifene (TOR 120 mg/day)], which reduced levels of 99mTc accumulation in the multiple bone metastases and levels of the serum tumor markers to the normal range. No severe adverse events occurred except peripheral thrombovasculitis (grade 2) in her left anterior arm during the fourth regimen. She recently maintains the current status by taking a regular dose (40 mg/day) of toremifene for 5 months. Combination treatment with DOC and high-dose TOR can be one of the worthwhile regimens as systemic chemo-endocrine therapy for patients with advanced breast cancer who develop bone metastases.