This article is part of a series on Recent advances in systemic therapy, edited by Paul Ellis.

Review

Recent advances in systemic therapy. Advances in neoadjuvant (primary) systemic therapy with cytotoxic agents

Michael Untch¹ and Gunter von Minckwitz²

¹  HELIOS Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Akademisches LK der Universität Charité, Schwanebecker Chaussee 50, 13125 Berlin, Germany

²  German Breast Group c/o GBG Forschungs GmbH, Schleussnerstr. 42, 63263 Neu-Isenburg, Germany

author email corresponding author email

Breast Cancer Research 2009, 11:203doi:10.1186/bcr2227

Published:	17 March 2009

Abstract

Neoadjuvant therapy, also known as primary, induction, or preoperative therapy, is defined as the first systemic treatment a patient receives after cancer is diagnosed and indicates that subsequent therapies are intended. It was first used in the early 1970s for the treatment of inoperable locally advanced or inflammatory breast cancer. Based on a large body of clinical evidence and on the fact that primary breast cancer is today considered a systemic disease with a locoregional component, primary systemic therapy is now increasingly considered for women with operable disease for reducing mortality with lower toxicity, improving surgical options, and acquiring early information on response and biology of the disease.