Recent advances in systemic therapy for breast cancer

During the past year there have been a number of important advances in the area of systemic therapy for breast cancer. Combined chemoendocrine therapy has been shown to be more effective than tamoxifen alone in the adjuvant therapy of node-negative estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Preliminary results of a randomized trial suggest that the addition of paclitaxel to adjuvant AC (Adriamycin and Cytoxan) improves survival in patients with operable node-positive disease. In the treatment of metastatic disease, preliminary results of a randomized trial have shown docetaxel to be superior to doxorubicin in response rate. In hormonal therapy, third generation aromatase inhibitors have replaced megestrol acetate as second-line hormonal therapy in receptor-positive disease. There are promising recent data about anti-HER-2 antibody therapy and other new approaches. This article reviews these and other recent advances in the systemic therapy of breast cancer.