Looking for an alternative treatment for patients with advanced breast carcinoma resistant to the common treatment regimens, vindesine, carmustine (BCNU) and tamoxifen were used for further treatment. 27 patients were admitted to a two-step-treatment-schedule including a step I with tamoxifen alone and a step II with vindesine, carmustine and tamoxifen. Within the step I with tamoxifen 7 of 14 patients (50%) and within the consecutive step II with vindesine, carmustine and tamoxifen 4 of 20 patients (20%) responded to this regimen. The mean duration of the response was + 7.4 and + 9.0 months, respectively. The results suggest that effective palliation is still possible in some patients suffering from progressive disease after therapy with vincristine + adriamycin + cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil + methotrexate + cyclophosphamide.