[Adjuvant chemotherapy in primary breast cancer]

Adjuvant chemotherapy reduces the relative risk of relapse by about 25%--independent of the nodal status. Anthracycline-containing regimens are considered standard for adjuvant chemotherapy. In single studies, superiority to CMF has only been shown for anthracycline-containing polychemotherapies with at least three substances or a sequential anthracycline-CMF therapy. Recent data show that adding taxanes to anthracycline-containing regimens may lead to significant survival advantages. Based on trial results published so far, taxanes are a valid adjuvant therapy option in node-positive breast cancer. In Germany, their optimal use is currently being evaluated in several clinical trials (i.e. NNBC-3, ECDoc, ADEBAR). Up-to-date evidence-based therapy recommendations for adjuvant chemotherapy can be found in the S2 guidelines of the working group on gynecological oncology (AGO) expert panel 'breast' (www.agoonline. de).