title: A human tumour model.
abstract: An approach to the management of patients with large (greater than 4 cm) operable breast cancers is described. The conventional sequence of mastectomy followed by systemic therapy is reversed, allowing accurate measurements of response to individual forms of endocrine therapy or chemotherapy. Such a method not only permits individual selection of appropriate systemic therapy, but also allows clinical response to be related to histological and biochemical tumour parameters. A response was observed in eleven of twenty-three patients to endocrine treatment and in twelve of thirteen to combination chemotherapy. In five of the latter the response was histologically complete.
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001365:Axilla; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008327:Mammography; D008408:Mastectomy; D008954:Models, Biological; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen