[Experimental and clinical aspects of hormone therapy in breast cancer (author's transl)]

This paper gives a review of the historical development of endocrine treatment procedures of breast cancer patients. Compared with the chemotherapy endocrine therapies have less side effects and are less expensive. On the other hand, the remission rates in unselected patients are in the range of 30% only. The determination of steroid hormone receptors at present is the best method for selection of the patients. The remission rates in patients with estrogen receptor positive tumors are 50-60%, with additionally progesterone receptor presence up to 77%. Patients lacking receptors in their tumor tissue have a little chance [5 (-10) %] of responding to an endocrine measure. This is true for ablative (ovariectomy, adrenalectomy, hypophysectomy) as well as for additive procedures (estrogens, androgens, antiestrogens).