Interview
with Neil Love, MD Breast Cancer Update for Medical Oncologists,
Program 6 2000
Play
Audio Below:
The
receptor assay in metastatic disease is simply one of several features
that you look at to decide whether to treat the patient with endocrine
therapy of chemotherapy. And there are certainly occasional patients
with quote "ER-negative tumors" that I still give a trial of endocrine
therapy. There, you’re not dealing with a curable disease,
no matter what you do, and delays of a few weeks or even a few months
is not going to be significantly deleterious to the patient. So,
if you give her a trial of endocrine therapy and you’re wrong,
you haven’t lost anything. In the adjuvant setting, however,
it’s a different story. There, we’re talking about potentially
curative therapies. And if you’re wrong there, it can make
a big difference.
Youth
and hormone receptors in breast cancer: good or bad news first? Stockler, M. and Beith, J. (Reprint available from: Stockler
M Univ Sydney, Natl Hlth & Med Res Council, Clin Trials Ctr,
Dept Med Sydney NSW 2006 Australia). Lancet. 355(9218): 1839-1840,
2000 May 27. No abstract
