Advanced breast cancer includes locally advanced breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer (also known as secondary breast cancer).
Locally advanced breast cancer is defined by the presence of a tumour that has one of the following characteristics: ‘peau d’orange’, skin ulceration, or fixation to the underlying intercostal or serratus anterior muscles or bones of the chest wall or inflammatory carcinoma. Breast cancer that has spread to distant sites is referred to as metastatic breast cancer.
The below guidelines for the management of advanced breast cancer, and associated topic-specific guideline updates, are designed to assist in decision making by women and their doctors.
Clinical practice guidelines
- Clinical practice guidelines for the management of advanced breast cancer
Publication date: January 2001
- The management of the woman with metastatic breast cancer: a guide for GPs
Publication date: 2003
The following topic-specific guideline updates either replace or supplement chapters in the 2001 Clinical practice guidelines for the management of advanced breast cancer.
Please note: these topic-specific guidelines are now available as online guidelines. Printed versions are still available while stocks last (except for the Chemotherapy and Bisphosphonates guidelines).
Bisphosphonates:
- Recommendations for use of bisphosphonates for advanced breast cancer
Publication date: June 2011
- Recommendations for use of endocrine therapy for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer
Publication date: June 2008
Other information on this topic:
- Evidence review – Evidence on the use of endocrine therapy for post-menopausal women with metastatic breast cancer (Publication date: August 2007)
Targeted therapies:
- Recommendations for use of trastuzumab (Herceptin®) for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer
Publication date: March 2007 - Information for general practitioners about the breast cancer drug trastuzumab (Herceptin®)
Publication date: July 2007
Other information on this topic:
- Evidence review – Trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer: a systematic review (Publication date: August 2006)
Chemotherapy:
- Recommendations for use of chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced breast cancer
Publication date: July 2010