Dr. Khong on the Benefit of Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy in ER+ Breast Cancers

Hung T. Khong, MD, medical oncologist, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the use of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy.

Neoadjuvant therapy is usually used to downstage tumors so that surgery can be optimally performed. In patients who require a mastectomy, downstaging the tumor can enable a lumpectomy. This can conserve the breast rather than removing the whole breast with a mastectomy. The use of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy can also convert patients with an unresectable tumor to a resectable tumor.

In addition, it can confer longtime survival benefit, says Khong. The side effects are very minimal compared with those seen in chemotherapy. The benefit is very similar to, and in some cases better than, chemotherapy. It’s important to note that the benefit of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy is not inferior to chemotherapy, says Khong.