Adjuvant therapy

Adjuvant therapy is additional cancer treatment given after primary treatment, often surgery, to reduce the risk of recurrence by targeting remaining cancer cells.

Micrometastasis: A small deposit of cancer cells that has spread from the original tumor but is too small to detect clinically. Undetected micrometastases are a key target of treatment after the visible tumor is removed.
Neoadjuvant therapy: Treatment given before the main treatment, often surgery, to shrink a tumor or improve outcomes. It precedes surgery, whereas adjuvant therapy follows primary treatment.
Oncotype DX: A gene-expression test that estimates recurrence risk and potential chemotherapy benefit in certain early-stage breast cancers. Its results can help decide whether adjuvant chemotherapy is worthwhile.
Cancer recurrence: The return of cancer after a period when it could not be detected or was controlled. Reducing the chance of recurrence is the central goal of adjuvant therapy.
Minimal residual disease: A small number of cancer cells remaining after treatment, below the detection limit of standard tests. Detecting it could identify who still needs adjuvant treatment.
Systemic therapy: Treatment that travels through the body to affect cancer cells beyond one local site. Many adjuvant treatments use systemic drugs to reach cells surgery cannot remove.
Palliative care: Care focused on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life during serious illness. Its primary aim is symptom relief, not eliminating residual cancer to prevent recurrence.
Breast cancer: Cancer that begins in breast tissue. Adjuvant endocrine therapy and chemotherapy are widely studied in early breast cancer.
Treatment-related adverse effect: An unwanted effect caused by medical treatment. Adjuvant treatment can cause harm even when no cancer would otherwise have returned.
Circulating tumor DNA: Fragments of tumor-derived DNA found in blood or other body fluids. Blood tests for this DNA may reveal residual cancer before imaging can.

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