The oral cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor ribociclib (Kisqali – Novartis), which was approved by the FDA in 2017 for use with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant for treatment of hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer, has now been approved for use with an aromatase inhibitor for adjuvant treatment of HR-positive, HER2-negative stage II or III early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence. Kisqali can be used in patients with node-positive or node-negative disease. The CDK 4/6...

Fulvestrant (Faslodex -- AstraZeneca), an estrogen receptor antagonist given intramuscularly (IM) once a month, was recently approved by the FDA for treatment of hormone-receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progession on tamoxifen (Nolvadex, and others) or another antiestrogen.

The FDA has approved elacestrant (Orserdu – Stemline), an oral estrogen receptor antagonist, for treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1)-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women or men who had disease progression following endocrine therapy. Elacestrant is the first oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) to be approved for treatment of breast cancer; the injectable SERD fulvestrant (Faslodex, and generics) was approved more than 20 years...

The tables in this article list drugs used for treatment of cancer in the USA and Canada and their major adverse effects. The choice of drugs in Table I is based on the opinions of Medical Letter consultants. Some drugs are listed for indications for which they have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. In some cases, such as elderly patients or those with many co-morbid illnesses, the regimen of choice might not be suitable. For many of the cancers listed, surgery and/or radiation therapy may be the treatment of choice or may also be part of the management. Anticancer...