[Current status in the treatment of breast cancer. I. Endocrine management--change of concepts and outlook for the future (author's transl)].

A renewal of interest in endocrine therapy of breast cancer is resulting from the demonstration of steroid hormone receptors in tumor cells sensitive to antiestrogens and the possibility for predicting endocrine responsiveness. Therefore new therapeutical concepts have been developed and some of the established endocrine regimens have been reduced to historical interest. It is more than doubtful that the present schematization in selecting the proper kind of endocrine treatment has any future as methodical difficulties in demonstrating hormone receptors will be overcome and the understanding of their biological function will increase.