[Neoadjuvant antihormonal treatment of women with breast cancer].

The main goal of neoadjuvant treatment for large operable or locally-advanced breast cancer is downstaging tumors. It may allow breast-conserving surgery on tumors that are unsuitable at initial presentation or convert some inoperable breast cancers into tumors that are operable. Neoadjuvant antihormonal therapy for receptor positive tumors is an effective and safe alternative to chemotherapy in elderly postmenopausal women. This paper presents an updated overview of the results from early phase II studies of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy, randomized trials of tamoxifen as primary treatment versus primary operation, and randomized phase III trials which compare tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors.