[Primary and adjuvant treatment of breast cancer: an update]

Several articles covering treatment of mammary carcinoma in situ and invading mammary cancer have been published recently. This article delivers a short description of the clinical picture and the treatment of a noninvasive tumor as well as of the mainly conservative primary treatment of invasive carcinoma in common use since 20 years. Systemic adjuvant treatment is discussed in the context of results from a meta-analysis publishes two years ago in 'Lancet'. Finally, various directives for the execution of an adjuvant treatment are given that are offered today outside of a study protocol.