title: Chemotherapy options for patients suffering from heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: The identification of additional chemotherapy agents for anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated advanced breast cancer (ABC) is an urgent medical need. Single agent chemotherapy is most times administered because combined therapy is only associated with modest, if any, improvement in median progression-free survival. Randomized trials failed to show overall survival benefit compared with single agent chemotherapy. We hope to modify the natural history of ABC by the consecutive use of treatments with documented activity in heavily pretreated patients. Quality of life remains an important end point as cure is in general not possible. We first review the activity of the approved and the most frequently used agents in heavily pretreated ABC. Thereafter, the potential role and safety profile of etirinotecan pegol is discussed given the results recently released of a Phase III trial comparing this agent to Treatment of Physician's Choice.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology CHU Sart Tilman Liege & Liege University, Domaine Universitaire du Sart Tilman, B35, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jerusalem
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology CHU Sart Tilman Liege, Domaine Universitaire du Sart Tilman, B35, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: Andrée
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rorive
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology CHU Sart Tilman Liege, Domaine Universitaire du Sart Tilman, B35, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Collignon
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: capecitabine; chemotherapy; eribulin; etirinotecan pegol; gemcitabine; irinotecan; ixabepilone; metastatic breast cancer; randomized trial; vinorelbine