Optimizing chemotherapy regimens for patients with early-stage breast cancer

While moving toward a personalized treatment approach for early breast cancer, it is clear that treatment must be tailored specifically to the tumor's and patient's characteristics. Understanding the tumor's molecular signature and using validated prognostic and predictive tools can assist the oncologist in providing the optimal therapy. Through a shared decision process, a treatment plan must be formulated based on the tumor's biologic phenotype, taking into consideration the patient's comorbidities and preferences. This review summarizes the available tools that can assist in this process and provides an overview of the chemotherapy regimens approved for the adjuvant treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer.