hematology and oncology
Systemic Cancer Therapy
Adjuvant and Neo adjuvant Therapies
In some cancers with a high likelihood of recurrence after surgery and/or radiation therapy, chemotherapy drugs, hormones, and/or targeted therapy drugs are given to reduce recurrence risk even when there is no evidence of residual cancer. This strategy is effective in many cancers and is termedadjuvant therapy. Radiation therapy can also be given after surgery or chemotherapy and is referred to as adjuvant radiation therapy. Sometimes therapy with chemotherapy, hormones, and/or targeted therapy drugs is given before definitive surgery or radiation therapy, in which instance it is termedneo-adjuvant therapy. There are several objectives of neoadjuvant therapy. One is to reduce size of the cancer, allowing for less extensive surgery and/or a smaller radiation therapy field. Another objective can be measuring response to neoadjuvant therapy and/or assessing the cancer when it is removed surgically, allowing for a more accurate prediction of the potential value of adjuvant therapy. Neoadjuvant therapy is increasingly used in breast, ovary, colorectal, lung, gastric, and other cancers. Sometimes a cancer that could not otherwise be removed by surgery is operable after neoadjuvant therapy. 