I. Craig Henderson, MD

In this interview we discuss important developments in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer and more.

Bisphosphonates or the monoclonal antibody denosumab, have the potential to profoundly affect the entire metastatic process, not just the growth of bone metastases.

I see a time in the not too distant future when we’ll define tumors this way. What will our subspecialties be? Rather than a breast clinic or a lung clinic, will we perhaps be attending a “HER2 clinic” or an “mTOR clinic” instead?

The anthracyclines doxorubicin and epirubicin are among the most effective cytotoxic treatments developed for the treatment of breast cancer.

In treating cancer, discovering new ways to use or modify old drugs can sometimes be as valuable as the identification of new drugs. This point is elegantly illustrated in Dr. Schilsky’s article about capecitabine (Xeloda), a prodrug that leads to high intratumoral levels of fluorouracil (5-FU).

In an admirably concise fashion, Dr.Pritchard summarizes the results of trials randomizing tens of thousands of women in order to evaluate various types and uses of endocrine treatment over more than 50 years. I would never have predicted these results

The incidence of breast cancer has risen steadily over the past several decades. Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer deaths among women; 46,000 women died of breast cancer in the United States alone in 1995. Despite efforts to improve the survival of women with metastatic breast cancer with currently available chemotherapeutic agents, results remain disappointing. The primary use of such agents continues to be for palliation, not cure.