[Primary inoperable breast cancer]

2-5% of breast cancers are locally advanced (LABC). The standard treatment is neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC) with an anthracycline-based regimen followed by surgery and adjuvant therapy. Pathological complete response (pCR) to NC is correlated to survival. However, only a small percentage of patients achieve pCR and the prognosis is poor. Addition of paclitaxel or docetaxel increases clinical and pathologic response rates. In addition trastuzumab seems effective. Prediction of treatment response may be guided by novel biotechnological approaches.