Eribuline: Nieuw oncolyticum voor de behandeling van gemetastaseerde borstkanker

In 2011 breast cancer was the second leading cause of death from cancer in The Netherlands. Even with the better screening and treatment methods, metastatic breast cancer is still considered an incurable disease. Until recently, there were little treatment options for metastatic breast cancer that is resistant to anthracyclines and taxanes. Eribulin is a newly registered chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits cell growth by binding to tubulin. This review aims to inform pharmacists about this novel drug against metastatic breast cancer. In a randomized phase III clinical trial it has been shown that eribulin, compared to treatment of physician's choice, improved the overall survival in patients with heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer. The most common adverse events were neutropenia, fatigue, alopecia, neuropathy and nausea.