PERIOPERATIVE HORMONES AND PROGNOSIS IN BREAST-CANCER

It is accepted that hormonal manipulation can alter the behaviour and prognosis of both early and advanced breast cancer. What is more contentious is the hypothesis that the endogenous hormones at the time of surgery could influence the behaviour of the primary tumour, the likelihood of establishing micrometastases and affect the probability of dying of metastatic disease. Despite some contradictory evidence, there is an increasing body of data which supports the hypothesis that the timing of surgery within the menstrual cycle affects the long-term prognosis of premenopausal women with operable breast cancer. © 1994.