Update on treatment of early breast cancer - The trend toward less surgery, more systemic therapy

Each year, about 200,000 women in the United States undergo therapy for bre ast cancer-but are they receiving the most effective treatment? In the past , management focused on aggressive local surgery, but current strategies em phasize earlier systemic treatment. This article discusses four important r ecent developments in early breast cancer management that can help reduce r isk of subsequent metastasis and improve survival.