Optimizing the management of advanced breast cancer in the Asia-Pacific region: Role of clinical trials and treatment guidelines

There is an urgent need to identify the best ways to manage breast cancer in women in the Asia-Pacific region. It is increasingly recognized that disease patterns, efficacy and toxicities of various treatment regimens, differ between Asia-Pacific women and women in the West. Despite these differences, breast cancer treatment in the Asia-Pacific region often follows evidence-based treatment guidelines based on Western clinical trials. To obtain the best possible outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region, country-specific breast cancer clinical trials and registries are crucial. Findings should be integrated into country-specific consensus treatment guidelines. These measures would facilitate the best choice of drugs, the optimal doses, and the optimal schedules for treating women with breast cancer in the Asia-Pacific region.