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Hurvitz SA, McAndrew NP, Bardia A, Press MF, Pegram M, Crown JP, Fasching PA, Ejlertsen B, Yang EH, Glaspy JA, Slamon DJ. A careful reassessment of anthracycline use in curable breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer 2021; 7:134. [PMID: 34625570 PMCID: PMC8501074 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-021-00342-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been over three decades since anthracyclines took their place as the standard chemotherapy backbone for breast cancer in the curative setting. Though the efficacy of anthracycline chemotherapy is not debatable, potentially life-threatening and long-term risks accompany this class of agents, leading some to question their widespread use, especially when newer agents with improved therapeutic indices have become available. Critically assessing when to incorporate an anthracycline is made more relevant in an era where molecular classification is enabling not only the development of biologically targeted therapeutics but also is improving the ability to better select those who would benefit from cytotoxic agents. This comprehensive analysis will present the problem of overtreatment in early-stage breast cancer, review evidence supporting the use of anthracyclines in the pre-taxane era, analyze comparative trials evaluating taxanes with or without anthracyclines in biologically unselected and selected patient populations, and explore published work aimed at defining anthracycline-sensitive tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Alsterlind Hurvitz
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Nicholas P. McAndrew
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Aditya Bardia
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Michael F. Press
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Mark Pegram
- Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - John P. Crown
- grid.412751.40000 0001 0315 8143Department of Medical Oncology, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Peter A. Fasching
- grid.411668.c0000 0000 9935 6525Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bent Ejlertsen
- grid.4973.90000 0004 0646 7373Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eric H. Yang
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - John A. Glaspy
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Dennis J. Slamon
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
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