Adjuvant treatment for breast cancer

Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer aims to reduce the risk of recurrence and improve survival following primary surgical treatment. There have been major new developments in all aspects of treatment over recent years contributing to the consistent fall in breast cancer mortality. Systemic adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and biological therapy (trastuzumab) reduce the risk of the patient developing distant metastases and improve survival. Radiotherapy is given to reduce the risk of local recurrence. The choice of adjuvant therapies is complex and each patient is discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting. Treatment is individualized and takes into account the biological characteristics of the cancer and patient-related factors, such as age and other co-morbidities.