title: Palliative systemic therapy for young women with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breast cancer in young women age less than 40 years remains a relatively rare disease. Emerging data suggest that the biology of breast cancer in younger women may differ from that of older women. Although metastatic breast cancer remains incurable, it is definitely treatable; especially in this era of emerging novel therapeutics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most women have hormone receptor-positive disease and strategies that interfere with proliferation and the PI3 kinase pathway are reporting exciting results. The prognosis of the metastatic HER2 subtype has been extended to a median survival of 56 months with dual HER2 targeting agents in the first-line setting. Finally, triple negative breast cancer has an enlarging range of therapeutic options including immunotherapy, antiangiogenesis therapy, and targeted therapies including agents that interfere with androgen receptor signaling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined palliative and holistic approaches are essential to help young women navigate the marathon of treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore bDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dubai Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Lee Guek
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Shaheenah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dawood
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dent
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D065171:Estrogen Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011372:Progestins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D065171:Estrogen Receptor Antagonists; D011372:Progestins; D013629:Tamoxifen; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone