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Editorial
. 2022 Sep;195(2):85-90.
doi: 10.1007/s10549-022-06685-2. Epub 2022 Jul 28.

Escalating de-escalation in breast cancer treatment

Virgilio Sacchini  1 , Larry Norton  2
Affiliations
Editorial

Escalating de-escalation in breast cancer treatment

Virgilio Sacchini et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Efforts have continually been made to de-escalate treatment for breast cancer, with the goal of balancing oncologic outcomes with complications and patient quality of life. In the early 2000s, two landmark studies firmly established that conservative treatment approaches for breast cancer can be safe and effective. More recently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has gained momentum as a potential standard of care for breast cancer. An important question has thus arisen: Can neoadjuvant approaches themselves be de-escalated to further minimize adverse treatment effects while maintaining oncological outcomes? In this editorial, we look at the available evidence and assess current trends in treatment de-escalation for women with breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Multimodality therapy; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Preoperative MRI; Surgical de-escalation; Upfront surgery.

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