> Emerging Areas in the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer
There are many treatments being studied for metastatic cancer. Some are therapies that focus on treating the entire body, while others focus on the breast, chest wall and nearby lymph nodes. The results of studies will determine whether these therapies become a part of standard care for metastatic cancer.
New drug therapies are the main type of treatment research. After talking with your health care provider, you should strongly consider participating in a clinical trial of new drug treatments for metastatic breast cancer.
Learn more about clinical trials.
Bisphosphonates
There is promising but controversial evidence that bisphosphonates can lower the risk of bone disease in women with metastatic breast cancer that hasn't yet spread to the bones [96]. Because these are early findings and much more research is needed, bisphosphonate therapy for the prevention of bone metastases should only be taken as part of a clinical trial.
For more on bisphosphonates, visit Additional Care for Metastatic Breast Cancer.
Lapatinib (Tykerb) and Other Tyrosine-Kinase Inhibitors
Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, such as lapatinib (Tykerb), are a new wave of targeted therapies for HER2-positive tumors. Lapatinib is FDA-approved for the treatment of advanced HER2-positive breast cancer in women who have already received chemotherapy and trastuzumab. It may hold promise for those with brain metastases as it can pass through the blood-brain barrier. Most therapies, including trastuzumab, cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
For more on lapatinib, visit Recommended Treatments for Metastatic Breast Cancer.
PARP Inhibitors
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are a new class of drugs under study for many types of cancer, including breast cancer. PARP is an enzyme involved in DNA repair. Some chemotherapy drugs damage DNA. Adding a PARP inhibitor to these chemotherapy plans may lower the chances that cancer cells become resistant to the chemotherapy. This is most often a problem for those with metastatic breast cancer. At this time, data on PARP inhibitors and the treatment of breast cancer are very limited. These drugs are in the early stages of study and only offered in clinical trials.
Read comments on the potential uses of PARP inhibitors from our Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr. Eric Winer.
Other Drug Therapies
Many types of new drugs are being developed for advanced breast cancer [97]. You can find a list of active clinical trials at the National Institute of Health website. You should ask your health care team about whether they have clinical trials available, and if so, which ones you may wish to consider. If your medical center does not offer clinical trials, you may wish to consider a referral to a cancer center with access to emerging therapies and drugs.
Updated 10/16/09
