The clinical role of growth factors in the treatment of breast cancer.
Growth factors have had an increasingly strong impact in breast cancer management in recent years. The main role of growth factors, particularly hematopoietic growth factors, in this setting has been to promote better tolerance of standard-doses, and for the implementation of high-dose chemotherapy in innovative protocols. After a brief overview of growth factor biology, the current clinical guidelines for their use in cancer management is reviewed. Finally, the role growth factors in palliative and curative chemotherapy of breast cancer and methods to reduce tumor cell contamination of peripheral stem cell harvests will be discussed.
Fetscher
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S
Albert-Ludwigs-University Medical Center, Department of Medicine I, Freiburg, Germany.
Mertelsmann
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R
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
D006133:Growth Substances; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors