Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure
neoadjuvant therapy Audio
[ nee-oh-aj-uh-vuhnt ther-uh-pee ]
Subclass of:
Combined Modality Therapy
Definitions related to neoadjuvant therapy:
  • A helper treatment given before a primary treatment is started, such as when chemotherapy is done before surgery in order to shrink a tumor.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Preliminary cancer therapy (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone/endocrine therapy, IMMUNOTHERAPY, HYPERTHERMIA, INDUCED etc.) that is given before the main therapy.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Therapy administered prior to the primary treatment for the purpose of making the primary treatment more effective.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Treatment given as a first step to shrink a tumor before the main treatment, which is usually surgery, is given. Examples of neoadjuvant therapy include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy. It is a type of induction therapy.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.