Adjuvant Therapy of Breast Cancer V. Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.Adjuvant Therapy of Breast Cancer V

We often hear physicians, health care professionals, poli ticians, and patient advocates that "nothing has happened in the treatment of breast cancer," since patients with breast cancer, the most frequent neoplastic condition in women in industrialized countries, are continuing to suffer relapse and succumb to this dreadful disease! This negativistic attitude does not seem to be justified, but, why is the transmission of clinical trial results into general practice, and with it progress, such a slow process? After many decades of frustrating stagnation of long-term survival expectations, in all stages of early, oper/lble breast cancer treated only by surgery and locoregional radio therapy, adjuvant systemic therapy (chemo- as well as endocrine treatments) clearly showed to significantly benefit in terms of disease-free and overall survival. This evolution has been extensively expounded on by the Worldwide Oxford Overview and the Expert Consensus Panel at the fourth International Conference 'on Adjuvant Therapy of Primary Breast Cancer in St. Gallen (Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group 1992; Glick et al. 1992). What has happened since then? During the past 3-5 years, several new concepts and treatment strategies have emerged and have been studied in various major breast cancer groups and treatment centers worldwide. Some of these can already be considered to assist in the primary treatment of operable breast cancer today, while others are . still undergoing clini,cal trials for better definition of their practical usefulness.

This volume provides an up-to-date survey of current laboratory and, mainly, clinical research on the diagnostic and treatment options in primary breast cancer. The chapters derive from the invited expert lectures presented at the 5th International Conference of Primary Breast Cancer held in St. Gallen, Switzerland, in March 1995. The papers cover relevant issues such as epidemiology and genetics as well as the biology of breast cancer, prognosis of response and tumor markers, screening and treatment of DCIS, surgery for early breast cancer, radiotherapy as part of primary management, adjuvant systemic cytotoxic and endocrine therapies, and, for the first time, women's health perceptions and breast cancer. As at previous conferences, this one also closed with an international consensus on the primary treatment of breast cancer, formulated by American, European, and Australian experts in various treatment modalities and biostatics. These 1995 treatment recommendations encompass pratical decisions outside of clinical trials and future research questions.