De behandeling van borstkanker

One in eight women born in the Netherlands will get breast cancer. Breast cancer was diagnosed in 13,500 women in 2009 and it is expected that the disease will be diagnosed in more than 17,000 women in 2017. Most women undergo surgery, but the proportion of women who also undergo chemotherapy or hormone therapy has increased from 34% in 1989 to 70% in 2009. Advances in diagnostic and treatment possibilities have led to personalized medicine, by which each patient is treated by a multidisciplinary team and receives a personalized treatment regimen. The general practitioner, with his/her knowledge of the patient's psychosocial background, is increasingly important in this process. This article focuses on chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy, which are increasingly important adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatments in combination with surgery.