Cytostatic therapy for metastasized mammary carcinoma - New substances andinnovative combinations

The use of cytotoxic therapy in metastatic breast cancer is an effective, b ut quite toxic measure compared to other available treatment options. The d ecision for or against chemotherapy should take into account the patient, c ondition and the goals of the therapy. Aggressive therapies provide good re mission rates and are suitable for patients with symptomatic disease and go od performance status. Monotherapies are advantageous regarding tolerabilit y and can often be conducted for a long time as consolidating therapy. Seve ral new substances are efficient in breast-cancer patients and should be ev aluated for further clinical use in future studies.