[Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the overall treatment strategy in operable breast cancer]

The intention of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer is to shrink the tumors in locally advanced disease and to improve the degree of cure of operation (security). Therefore, it is expected to improve quality of life and survival for patients. Additionally, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is administered based on the observable primary tumor. Thus, the timely assessment of tumor response to chemotherapeutic drugs provides a basis for subsequent treatment. Currently, however, the treatment concept of breast cancer requires whole process management. It requires clinicians to develop the overall treatment strategy according to tumor biological information of patients, as well as timely and reasonable adjustment of the subsequent treatment based on the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. These are new problems arising from neoadjuvant chemotherapy.