Breast tumours: a review of adjuvant chemotherapy trials

Updated randomized trials using adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer have generally shown significantly improved disease-free survival in young women. Nevertheless, this improvement does not appear to be lasting in locally advanced disease. The effects on overall survival remain controversial and have been observed in only five trials. Except for three trials, results in postmenopausal women have also been disappointing. The best regimen of adjuvant chemotherapy and, more importantly, its timing are still not well defined, although early or perioperative treatments seem to have a fair chance of success.