Advances in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer

Several advances in the adjuvant systemic therapy of primary breast cancer have occurred in the last decade and contributed to a decline in disease-related mortality. These include the introduction of aromatase inhibitors, new chemotherapy agents, and the novel antibody trastuzumab. New supportive treatments, such as growth factors, have contributed to the optimization of chemotherapy dose and schedule, and have improved the efficacy and safety of the treatment. In this review we will outline some of the recent advances in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer. We will also discuss ongoing and proposed clinical trials.