The traditional concept of breast-cancer treatment has been a series of tumor-removing surgical procedures followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The objective of surgery and radiation therapy is to eliminate or get rid of the primary cancer. Follow-up chemotherapy is designed to reduce any cancer , as yet barely discernible, at remote sites.

Of late, there have been new findings signifying a possible advantage in a number of patients when chemotherapy is started before surgical procedure. Though, initial chemotherapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) should first and foremost be considered in patients with larger tumors and those with strong proof of lymph-node involvement at the time of primary .

If you are registered in a clinical trial, the benefits and drawbacks of all procedures should have been explained to you, giving you the chance to make a knowledgeable decision.