PRIMARY MEDICAL THERAPY FOR OPERABLE BREAST-CANCER

For over a decade pre-operative systemic therapy has been used in earl y, operable breast cancer. However, we do not yet know its exact role, nor have we yet established the indications for chemotherapy as oppos ed to endocrine therapy. It offers an opportunity to improve our under standing of the biology of breast cancer, in particular the difference between those tumours that do and those that do respond not to primar y therapy. However, there is still much that could be learnt from this approach, and unresolved issues remain, particularly pertaining to th e appropriate postoperative treatment strategies for women with rumour s that have demonstrated in vivo drug resistance.