Current Status of Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Early Stage Breast Cancer

Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) with Ki67-based response monitoring is a practical, cost-effective approach to the management of clinical stage II and III estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. In addition to marked improvements in rates of breast conservation, the identification of extreme responders on the basis of the preoperative endocrine prognostic index (PEPI) provides a rationale to avoid chemotherapy on the basis of highly favorable prognosis in some patients. Finally, samples accrued from patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy are providing valuable insights into the molecular basis for intrinsic resistance to endocrine therapy and promise a more rational basis and precise approach to the systemic treatment of ER+ breast cancer.