TriangleHEALTH PROFESSIONAL · SOURCE READING
Treatment Option Overview for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Source: Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: April 25, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.
Context: Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Treatment options for metastatic breast cancer include:
Hormone therapy (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, selective estrogen receptor [ER] degraders).
HER2-targeted therapy.
CDK4/6 inhibitors.
mTOR inhibitors.
PIK3CA inhibitors.
Chemotherapy.
Immunotherapy.
Surgery for patients with limited symptomatic metastases.
Radiation therapy for patients with limited symptomatic metastases.
Bone-modifying therapy for patients with bone metastases.
In many cases, these therapies are given in sequence and used in various combinations.
Cytological or histological documentation of metastatic disease, with testing of ER, progesterone receptor, and HER2 statuses, should be obtained at the time of metastatic presentation, if possible. If not possible, it is appropriate to consider liquid biopsy (via circulating tumor cell and/or circulating tumor DNA testing).
All patients with metastatic breast cancer are considered candidates for ongoing clinical trials.
Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice