Evolving treatment approaches for early breast cancer

Treatment approaches for early breast cancer continue to evolve as key trials involving adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy provide results that can inform clinical practice. The administration of a taxane, either in combination with or following doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, has been shown to significantly improve disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). In addition, a dose-dense treatment approach (reducing the inter-treatment interval) was found to be more effective than conventionally scheduled treatment in terms of DFS and OS. As treatment schemes evolve, supportive care becomes increasingly important to manage the toxicities of chemotherapy, such as anemia and impaired cognition. In addition to chemotherapy, the use of hormonal therapy continues to evolve, with studies demonstrating the benefit of the aromatase inhibitors and serum estrogen receptor down-regulation.