Early changes in apoptosis and proliferation following primary chemotherapy for breast cancer

The use of primary or preoperative chemotherapy emerged as a result of the good response rates seen with the treatment of locally advanced breast cancers with chemotherapy (Swain et al, 1987; Hortobagyi et al, 1988). In large but operable tumours, primary chemotherapy has also shown high response rates, allowing more conservative surgery. This reduces the need for mastectomy, without affecting the local recurrence rate (Powles et al, 1995; Smith et al, 1995; Fisher et al, 1997), and without compromising survival (Fisher et al, 1998).