title: Maintenance hormonal and chemotherapy treatment in metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review.
abstract: Endocrine treatment is the first-line therapy in hormone-sensitive metastatic breast cancer while chemotherapy is the first option in tumors refractory to endocrine therapy and in hormone-negative disease. Optimal duration, efficacy and safety of a maintenance endocrine therapy or chemotherapy after an induction treatment are still a matter of debate. We performed a literature review to identify studies regarding maintenance hormonal and chemotherapy treatments in metastatic breast cancer. We analyzed data relating to efficacy (improvement of progression-free survival and overall survival) and safety (symptoms relief and quality of life [QoL]). Maintenance endocrine therapy could prolong progression-free survival with a better control of symptoms and improving QoL. Maintenance chemotherapy prolong the response to a previous treatment, worsening the QoL, except for metronomic capecitabine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schinzari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strippoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dadduzio
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Argento
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassano
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barone
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D060046:Maintenance Chemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
keywords: chemotherapy; endocrine treatment; maintenance therapy; metastatic breast cancer