title: Endocrine treatment options for advanced breast cancer--the role of fulvestrant.
abstract: For many years, tamoxifen has been the 'gold standard' amongst anti-oestrogen therapies for breast cancer. However, the selective aromatase inhibitors (AIs), anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane, have demonstrated advantages over tamoxifen as first-line treatments for advanced disease. Anastrozole is also more effective as an adjuvant treatment in early, operable breast cancer and is being increasingly used in the adjuvant setting. Generally, the selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as toremifene, droloxifene, idoxifene, raloxifene, and arzoxifene, show minimal activity in tamoxifen-resistant disease and show no superiority over tamoxifen as first-line treatments. In addition to these agents, other treatment options for advanced disease include high-dose oestrogens and progestins. Response rates for high-dose oestrogens and tamoxifen are similar, but the use of oestrogens is limited by their toxicity profile. Consequently, there is a need for new endocrine treatment options for breast cancer, particularly for use in disease that is resistant to tamoxifen or AIs. Fulvestrant ('Faslodex') is a new type of steroidal oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist that downregulates cellular levels of the ER and progesterone receptor and has no agonist activity. This paper reviews the key efficacy and tolerability data for fulvestrant in postmenopausal women in the context of other endocrine therapies and explores the potential role of fulvestrant within the sequencing of endocrine therapies for advanced breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Surgery, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK. john.robertson@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: J F R
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Come
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beex
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.forename: J W R
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Nortier
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Possinger
authors.forename: L-E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rutqvist
mesh_terms: D000077384:Anastrozole; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017698:Postmenopause; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D009570:Nitriles; D011799:Quinazolines; D014230:Triazoles; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D000077384:Anastrozole; D004958:Estradiol; C056516:exemestane; D000077156:Gefitinib