Clinical studies are trying to determine if ABMT offers an increased chance of long-term disease control, especially important when considering the risk for breast cancer patients.
Current studies are trying to determine the curative advantage of ABMT as an adjuvant therapy for patients with 10 or more involved lymph nodes . In one study, 80 percent of such patients were free of evidence of disease three years after treatment, but their overall survival was identical to that of matched patients in an identical study. Until randomized comparative trials are carried out, the role of ABMT will not be clarified.
• Another technique to combat the life-threatening problem of low blood counts (with possible serious
infections) associated with chemotherapy is to give colony-stimulating factors such as G-CSF . These stimulate
the rapid production of blood cells and minimize the period of white blood cell depression
( See Biological Therapy ).
It is too soon to know if the use of these agents will be translated into improved survival.
• To attempt to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk, an investigational trial of tamoxifen is being
conducted by the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. and Canada.
