Chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Chemotherapy employed in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer effectively palliates the disease. Response rates to combination chemotherapy are high (greater than 50%); response durations, however, are still very short (less than 1 year). Future investigations must focus on the development of alternate maintenance regimens to improve response duration. Other areas for future study include the use of immunotherapy in conjunction with chemotherapy and the combination of chemotherapy and endocrine manipulation.