Breast Cancer Medications

Cytotoxic chemotherapy, the oldest and most commonly used type of cancer treatment, halts cell division and kills rapidly growing cells. For a full list of chemotherapy drugs, click here.

Arimidex is an aromatase inhibitor approved for adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) early breast cancer and first-line or subsequent treatment of HR+ advanced or metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Aromasin is an aromatase inhibitor approved for adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) early breast cancer and treatment of ER+ advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women who previously used tamoxifen.

Evista is a selective estrogen receptor modulator approved for the prevention of breast cancer in high-risk postmenopausal women and women with osteoporosis (bone loss). It is not approved for the treatment of invasive breast cancer or to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.

Fareston is a selective estrogen receptor modulator approved for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors or those with unknown receptor status.

Faslodex is an estrogen receptor downregulator approved for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Femara is an aromatase inhibitor approved for adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) early breast cancer and treatment of HR+ advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Lupron is a GnRH agonist approved for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. It is also used to treat breast and ovarian cancer, though it is not FDA-approved for these indications.

Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator approved for adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment to prevent recurrence or spread of early breast cancer and for treatment of women and men with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. It is also used to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women. It is sometimes used to treat ovarian cancer, though it is not FDA-approved for this indication.

Zoladex is a GnRH agonist approved for palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer and, treatment of localized prostate cancer in combination with Eulexin (flutamide) and palliative treatment of breast cancer in premenopausal women. It is also used to treat ovarian cancer, though it is not FDA-approved for this indication.

Keytruda is a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor approved for inoperable or metastatic melanoma, adjuvant treatment of melanoma after surgery, non-small-cell lung cancer, bladder (urothelial) cancer, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, stomach cancer, classic Hodgkin lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and pre- and post-surgery treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. It is also approved for all metastatic solid tumors with high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair deficiency mutations (MSI-H/dMMR) or high tumor mutation burden. 

Afinitor is a kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer in previously treated postmenopausal women, as well as for advanced kidney cancer and advanced or metastatic neuroendocrine tumors of the lung, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract.

Enhertu is a HER2 antibody combined with a chemotherapy drug. It is approved for previously treated people with inoperable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer and for people with locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive stomach or gastroesophageal junction cancer.

Herceptin is a HER2 inhibitor approved for adjuvant (post-surgery) therapy of early breast cancer and treatment of metastatic breast cancer, stomach cancer and esophageal cancer that overexpresses human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.

Ibrance is a CDK4/6 kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with hormone therapy.

Kadcyla is a HER2 inhibitor combined with a chemotherapy drug. It is approved for people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who were previously treated with Herceptin and chemotherapy and for adjuvant (post-surgery) therapy for early breast cancer.

Kisqali is a CDK4/6 kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with hormone therapy.

Lynparza is a PARP inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer in previously treated people with harmful BRCA mutations, maintenance treatment of ovarian cancer in people responding to chemotherapy, previously treated HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer in people with BRCA mutations, maintenance treatment of pancreatic cancer in people with BRCA mutations and previously treated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in people with BRCA or other faulty DNA repair mutations.

Margenza is a HER2 antibody approved for people with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who were previously treated with at least two other anti-HER2 inhibitors.

Nerlynx is a kinase inhibitor approved for extended adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of early breast cancer that overexpresses human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in people who previously used Herceptin.

Perjeta is a HER2 inhibitor approved for neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) or adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of early breast cancer, in combination with Herceptin (trastuzumab) and chemotherapy. This combination is also approved for previously untreated metastatic breast cancer.

Phesgo is an injectable fixed-dose combination regimen containing pertuzumab, trastuzumab and hyaluronidase that can be administered by a health care provider at home. It is approved for people with early or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.

Piqray is a PI3K kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women, and men, with HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer with PIK3CA mutations.

Rozlytrek is approved for the treatment of solid tumors anywhere in the body that have NTRK gene fusions and for ROS1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

Talzenna is a PARP inhibitor approved for HER2 negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in people with harmful BRCA mutations.

Trodelvy is an antibody-drug conjugate approved for the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and advanced bladder (urothelial) cancer.

Tukysa is a kinase inhibitor approved for use in combination therapy for people with previously treated inoperable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, including cancer that has spread to the brain.

Tykerb is a kinase inhibitor approved in combination with chemotherapy for previously treated patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. It is also approved in combination with hormone therapy for postmenopausal women with both HER2-positive and hormone receptor-positive metastatic cancer.

Verzenio is a CDK4/6 kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer, alone or in combination with hormone therapy.

Vitrakvi is a TRK inhibitor that works against cancers anywhere in the body with NTRK gene fusions.