[Evaluation of neoadjuvant therapy in breast carcinoma]

For 20 years preoperative chemotherapy has been the treatment of choice in inflammatory breast cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy does not show any advantages over neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy in terms of survival of patients with breast cancer. Reduction of the size of the tumor enables the surgeon to perform more breast-conserving surgery, but the long-term results for breast tumor to recur in these patients are not yet available. At our hospital, a tumor larger than 30 mm is an indication for mastectomy. In general, only 20.6% of all patients are suitable for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with lobular carcinoma or with tumors with an extensive ductal carcinoma in situ part will not benefit from such therapy. Tumor remission following neoadjuvant chemotherapy is of prognostic relevance. The rapid therapeutic effect of neoadjuvant therapy allows short-term evaluation of this treatment.