The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer.
A wide variety of approaches are being applied to the therapy of breast cancer. Treatment begins with a biopsy followed by mastectomy to remove the primary tumor. The risk category must be determined and, at present, an axillary dissection appears to be required; in the future, tumor cell markers may replace the role of an axillary dissection in the determination of risk category (TORMEY et al., 1975). If the nodes are positive, adjuvant chemotherapy and possibly immunotherapy should be considered. A positive estrogen receptor assay suggests that patients may also benefit from endocrine treatments. If it is negative, the chances of responding to hormonotherapy are very limited, except, perhaps, for anti-estrogens (McGUIRE, et al., 1975). Adjuvant therapy for patients with negative nodes is not recommended at this time; this view may have to be modified as the results of current adjuvant studies become available. We have at hand the means to improve the cure rate of patients with breast cancer. We are getting better diagnostic methods and find more patients with negative nodes. We know more about the primary treatment and have systemic modalities that are effective in the adjuvant situation. The immediate problem is to learn how to put these treatments together, and this task has been undertaken by on-going clinical trials. We are anticipating the results with optimism.
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008558:Melphalan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008558:Melphalan; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate