ABSTRACT
Microtubule-stabilizing agents are among the most effective and commonly used cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of breast cancer. Indeed, the taxanes, one class of microtubule-stabilizing agents, have become a standard treatment for patients with metastatic disease and, more recently, for those with high-risk, early-stage breast cancer. The main disadvantage of the taxanes is that tumors develop resistance to them. The epothilones, a promising new class of microtubule-stabilizing compounds, have commanded attention recently, as their mechanisms of action are similar to those of the taxanes, yet they have the potential to evade the known mechanisms of taxane resistance. This feature of the epothilones makes them valuable agents for the treatment of patients with taxane-resistant disease, an increasingly large population of patients with recurrent breast cancer.
