Neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer treatment: an expert panel recommendation from the Brazilian Society of Breast Surgeons 2018

Purpose Breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) consists of the administration of cytotoxic and targeted drugs prior to breast surgery, with the objective of reducing the tumor burden to allow breast conservation. NAC also aims to improve long-term treatment outcomes such as disease-free and overall survival. To optimize clinical practice with the best available evidence for breast cancer patients in the setting of neoadjuvant treatment, the Brazilian Society of Breast Surgeons (Sociedade Brasileira de Mastologia—SBM) held a consensus conference to develop this guideline.