What is the main goal of adjuvant therapy in oncology?

The main goal of adjuvant therapy in oncology is to eliminate residual disease following surgery. After a tumor has been surgically removed, there may still be microscopic cancer cells left in the body that are not detectable but could lead to recurrence. Adjuvant therapy aims to reduce the risk of this recurrence by targeting and destroying those remaining cancer cells.

During this phase, treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or hormonal therapy are employed to enhance the overall effectiveness of the surgical intervention, ultimately improving patient outcomes. By addressing residual disease, adjuvant therapy is pivotal in achieving long-term remission and enhancing survival rates.

This contrasts with other approaches such as providing comfort care, which focuses on quality of life rather than disease eradication; preventing the onset of cancer, which applies to preventive measures rather than treatment pathways; and serving as a first line of treatment, which is not the specific purpose of adjuvant therapy, as this term relates to supplementary treatment following initial surgical intervention.