[Treatment with oral agents for breast cancer]

To overcome the limited efficacy with intermittent high-dose chemotherapy, a metronomic therapy with consecutive administration of oral cytotoxic agents has been attempted. Numerous promising oral molecular-targeted agents have also been emerging. Oral agents have the definite benefit of convenience. Time-dependent long-term exposure of cancer cells to drugs is one of the strategies for treatment. Not only oral cyclophosphamide containing classical CMF, but also UFT, capecitabine and S-1 have been investigated in treatment for breast cancer. Small molecule agents of tyrosine kinase inhibitor have been extensively explored. Oral molecular-targeted agents, such as lapatinib, neratinib, sunitinib, pazopanib, olaparib or everolimus have demonstrated clinical efficacy The significance of treatment with oral agents in chemotherapy, endocrine therapy or molecular-targeted therapy requires further investigation.