The evolving role of gemcitabine in the management of breast cancer

Despite the common clinical use of numerous active cytotoxic agents for bre ast cancer therapy, and the combinations that are derived from them, the me dian survival for patients with metastatic breast cancer has not been drama tically improved over the past two decades. Furthermore, when the expected outcome of treatment is not cure, optimizing the dynamic equilibrium betwee n chemotherapy-induced side effects and the benefits attributable to chemot herapy-mediated relief of cancer-related symptomatology becomes paramount. The search for active agents to this end has recently included the clinical evaluation of the novel nucleoside analogue gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeo xycytidine). This review summarizes the recent and current development of t his agent. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.