Treatment of advanced breast cancer: current status

Metastatic breast cancer is a major and increasing public health problem. The 5-year survival for this disease is only 15%, and while hormonal and chemotherapeutic options have had a significant impact on long-term survival for patients with localized disease, treatment for disseminated disease remains essentially palliative. New treatment options are urgently needed to improve the prospects for patients with metastatic breast cancer, particularly for those with disease characteristics indicating a particularly poor prognosis. Docetaxel (Taxotere) is a promising new drug and has shown encouraging activity in patients with disease resistant to anthracyclines and in patients with visceral metastases, both of which indicate a poor prognosis. Although docetaxel is, at present, only licensed for use in patients with anthracycline-resistant disease, this highly active drug should now be developed for first-line treatment, and eventually for adjuvant use.