Has first-line therapy had an impact on general outcome in metastatic breast cancer?
According to the WHO World Cancer Report, 2003, breast cancer is a global public health burden with more than one million new cases diagnosed worldwide each year. Despite the diminished frequency of advanced-stage disease at initial diagnosis in some parts of the world, a significant proportion of women with early-stage disease eventually experience distant recurrences. Metastatic breast cancer is generally incurable and treatment is aimed at extending survival and improving quality-of-life. Efforts to optimize these paradigms are ongoing. In the last 30 years, significant innovations in drug delivery, scheduling and biologic therapies have resulted in significant improvements in disease-specific outcomes in the metastatic setting. One hopes that ongoing innovations, particularly in targeted therapy, will continue to translate into further improvements in this population.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, c/o Sherdina Erwin, Breast Cancer Medicine Service, Department of Medicine, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY 10021, USA. mcarthuh@mskcc.org
Heather L
HL
McArthur
Clifford A
CA
Hudis
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents