MODERN APPROACHES TO BREAST CANCER TREATMENT (by the proceedings of St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference, 2017)

Abstract

Treatment of breast cancer (BC) remains to be a topical worldwide issue as the annual BC incidence rate continues to increase by 20 %, and the mortality rate - by 14 %. To develop the most optimal treatment method for each patient, it is necessary to rely not only on the extent to which the tumorous process has spread, but at times more importantly, on the biological subtype of the tumor. This allows to improve the long-term results of the treatment (higher general and relapse-free survival rates), to expand the potential for organ-preserving treatment, to reduce frequency of postoperative complications, to achieve better aesthetic results, and, accordingly, a better quality of the patient’s life. Since 2017 the indications for radiation and drug therapy for some BC types have been curtailed, and on the contrary the indications for drug therapy (targeted therapy and chemotherapy) for aggressive forms (triple negative, HER2-positive and some types of luminal B-like cancer) have been broadened, which is endorsed in international guidelines on BC treatment.