The treatment of metastatic breast cancer

While metastatic breast cancer is not curable, it is treatable. Itstreatment is associated with a relatively high rate of success, andpatients are able to maintain a good quality of life for periods rangingfrom a few months to several years. This knowledge should encourage boththe patient and the oncologist to maintain treatment as long as potentiallyeffective therapeutic methods are available. Progress is ongoing both inthe development of new forms of treatment and in new ways of using andcombining already existing therapeutic modalities. There is still noestablished “best” or “only” first treatment of metastatic breast cancer. When secondary and later treatment is to be undertaken, the task ofselecting the most appropriate treatment becomes even more complex. It isonly through controlled clinical trials that useful therapeutic guidelineswill develop. Treatment is a joint endeavor involving both the physicianand the patient. Communication must remain open. In the final stages of theillness, treatment should be directed toward the relief of distressingsymptoms and anxiety.