Ask Dr. Rosen-What is Neoadjuvant Therapy?
Certain breast cancers are best treated by chemotherapy followed by surgery, Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NACT). This can shrink a tumor to facilitate avoiding a mastectomy, provider the most important treatment first, prove that the CT is effective at shrinking the person’s cancer, and buys time to help make better decisions. This can also be done with hormonal therapy—neoadjuvant endocrine therapy.