RT Journal Article SR Electronic A1 Rizzo, Toni T1 Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy: Promising Experimental Model or Improved Standard of Care? JF MD Conference Express YR 2013 FD SAGE Publications VO 12 IS 20 SP 6 OP 7 DO 10.1177/155989771220002 UL http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/12/20/6.abstract AB Neoadjuvant therapy (preoperative and primary systemic chemotherapy) was originally developed to improve management of patients with locally advanced breast cancer, in the hope that it would render inoperable disease operable. In 1988 results from the first longitudinal series of stage III breast cancer patients treated with this approach were published. Importantly, this landmark study also suggested that tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy correlated well with patients' overall survival. This article discusses the development of neoadjuvant therapy for patients with breast cancer, summarizing past experiences and reviewing its current use as a therapeutic research tool.