title: Use and abuse of taxanes in the management of metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: Taxanes are currently introduced early in the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), both as single agents and in combination with anthracyclines. Two different patient populations exist: those with no or minimal prior anthracycline exposure and those who have failed previous anthracyclines. The data generated through phase III trials in first-line MBC therapy will be reviewed and their interpretation for routine clinical practice (use versus abuse) will be discussed. Ways of improving taxane-based treatment tailoring both in the pre- and postgenomic eras will be addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Jules Bordet Institute, Boulevard de Waterloo, 215, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernard-Marty
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Piccart
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015982:Bias; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D000077143:Docetaxel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018579:Patient Selection; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D043823:Taxoids
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D017239:Paclitaxel