Clinico-pharmacological aspects of different hormone treatments.

During the last decade, several new drugs and classes of drugs have become available for breast cancer treatment. Thus, in addition to tamoxifen we have got several new selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) with a partially different pharmacological profile. The first generation aromatase inhibitor, aminoglutethimide, has been replaced by more potent and less toxic inhibitors belonging to the triazole class (anastrozole and letrozole) and, more recently, the steroidal aromatase inactivator exemestane [1-3]. These drugs have all revealed a better toxicity profile and, in general, an improved antitumour activity, compared with conventional therapy. Faslodex, the first representative of the so-called 'pure' oestrogen antagonists, has shown beneficial effects in patients resistant to tamoxifen [4].