The American Society of Clinical Oncology has released a guideline on endocrine therapy for hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Among the recommendations:

• Sequential hormone therapy is the preferential treatment for most women with hormone receptor–positive MBC.

• Use hormone therapy, alone or in combination, as initial treatment except in cases of immediately life-threatening disease.

• Offer therapy to patients whose tumors express any level of hormone receptors.

• Base treatment recommendations on type of adjuvant treatment, disease-free interval, and organ function.

• Do not use tumor markers as the sole criteria for determining tumor progression; use of additional biomarkers remains experimental.

• Assessment of menopausal status is critical; include ovarian suppression or ablation in premenopausal women.

The guideline also includes recommendations for postmenopausal women, as well as for patients with hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive MBC.

Citation: Rugo H, Rumble R, Macrae E, et al. Endocrine therapy for hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline. [Published online ahead of print May 23, 2016]. J Clin Oncol. doi:10.1200/JCO.2016.67.1487.