Practical advice on clinical decision making during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for primary breast cancer

Abstract

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is a useful approach in the treatment of many breast cancers. One of the main advantages of NACT is the possibility of breast conservation surgery in patients who would otherwise require a mastectomy. Most literature on NACT focuses on the effectiveness of different chemotherapy regimen and subsequent mastectomy rates. There is little guidance in the literature on aspects of individual patient management and decision making during NACT. This paper considers practical management advice where NACT is considered and adopted.