The present and future of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer treatment

Abstract

Endocrine therapy (ET) has established itself as an efficacious treatment for estrogen receptor‐positive (ER+) breast cancers, with a reduction in recurrence rates and increased survival rates. The pre‐surgical approach with chemotherapy (NCT) has become a common form of management for large, locally advanced, or high‐risk tumors. However, a good response to NCT is not usually expected in ER+ tumors. Good results with primary ET, mainly in elderly women, have encouraged studies in other stages of life, and nowadays neoadjuvant endocrine treatment (NET) has become a useful approach to many ER+ breast cancers. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the current state of art regarding the present and the future role of NET.