Treatment strategy of early-stage breast cancer.

The treatment options for early stage breast cancer include local-regional and systemic therapy. Surgery and radiotherapy can minimize the risk of local recurrence, while systemic adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal treatment is related to prolongation of survival rate. Several prognostic factors were identified. The dominant prognostic factor is lymph node involvement with cancer. The decision regarding treatment must be made according to risk versus benefit for every patient. The absolute benefit of systemic treatment is major in patients with intermediate and poor prognosis (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 10).