title: Controversies in the therapy of early stage breast cancer.
abstract: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among U.S. women, with more than 200,000 new cases diagnosed annually. In the U.S., mortality from breast cancer has declined in recent years as a result of more widespread screening, leading to earlier detection, as well as advances in the adjuvant treatment of early-stage disease. It is widely accepted that the appropriate use of adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy improves the disease-free and overall survival of patients with early-stage breast cancer. It is, therefore, standard clinical practice to administer adjuvant systemic therapy to patients with node-positive and high-risk, node-negative breast cancer. There remain, however, many controversies in the primary systemic therapy of breast cancer, which are discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. w-gradishar@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cianfrocca
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gradishar
mesh_terms: D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010052:Ovariectomy; D017698:Postmenopause; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000068878:Trastuzumab