New cytotoxic drugs in treatment of breast cancer.

Over the past 5-10 years approximately 40 new drugs have been evaluated for their efficacy in patients with advanced breast cancer, usually heavily pretreated. Among 9 anthracyclines and anthracycline analogs, epirubicin, idarubicin and mitoxantrone have demonstrated activity which justifies their introduction into clinical practice. Efficacies of epirubicin and doxorubicin are similar and slightly superior to that of mitoxantrone, whereas mitoxantrone is less toxic. Randomized comparisons of doxorubicin or epirubicin versus idarubicin have yet to be conducted. Among 36 non-anthracycline analogs tested only vindesine and cisplatinum have been associated with activities which deserve further studies.