title: Neoadjuvant progesterone therapy for primary breast cancer: rationale for a clinical trial.
abstract: The hormonal milieu at the time of surgery may influence mortality and disease-free survival in patients with primary breast cancer. Indeed, there is evidence that circulating unopposed estrogen is detrimental and that the presence of circulating progesterone results in an improved disease-free and overall survival rate. Thus patients who receive neoadjuvant progesterone therapy may have a better outcome. A randomized controlled trial in which women with primary breast cancer receive either progesterone or placebo before surgery is urgently needed to confirm this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jatoi
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017697:Premenopause; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone