THE CASE FOR HIGH-DOSE ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY IN BREAST-CANCER .1. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Adjuvant systemic therapy of breast cancer is now a well-established t reatment resulting in improved survival, However, the available eviden ce suggests that it is most unlikely that an individual woman will be cured as a consequence of such treatment, There is, therefore, a press ing need for more effective therapy, particularly for younger women wh ose degree of axillary nodal involvement indicates a high risk of subs equent relapse, The case for using myelo-ablative chemotherapy for suc h women is presented in this article, In a subsequent publication me w ill discuss the clinical data to suggest that such an approach is not only possible with acceptable toxicity, but also could actually offer the increased cure rate sought by clinicians and patients alike.