Cancer: Update on bone-modifying agents in metastatic breast cancer.

摘要

The growth of disseminated tumor cells is a major cause of mortality in patients with breast cancer.1 Since the introduction of the bisphosphonate pamidronate for the treatment of skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with breast cancer and bone metasta-ses,2 the beneficial effects of bone-modifying agents in this group of patients have been recognized.3 The first American Society of Clinical Oncology evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the use of bisphos-phonates in patients with breast cancer were published in 2000 and updated in 2003. Here, we comment on the 2011 guideline update, which covers metastatic breast cancer and uses the term bone-modifying agents instead of bisphosphonates in recognition of the emergence of new types of treatments.