Guidelines for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive breast cancer: past, present and future recommendations.

Treatment guidelines are useful tools that enable physicians to integrate the latest clinical research into their practices. The large volume of rapidly evolving clinical data in breast cancer has been summarised and incorporated into treatment recommendations by well-known and reliable institutions, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the American Society for Clinical Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology and the St. Gallen International Consensus Panel. Adjuvant therapy is a key component of breast cancer treatment, and many of the current consensus guidelines now recognise the important role of the aromatase inhibitors as an alternative to or in sequence after tamoxifen, hitherto the standard adjuvant treatment of choice for receptor-positive women. Data from ongoing trials such as the Breast International Group 1-98 trial and those still in the accrual phase will be forthcoming and will likely result in a further refinement of treatment recommendations over the course of the next few years. Despite the availability of such guidelines, however, there is evidence that adherence to and implementation of treatment recommendations is less than optimal. Further research is needed to determine more effective means of disseminating those clinical recommendations that can have a significant impact on treatment strategies and ultimately improve outcomes in breast cancer.