Adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) for breast cancer (BC) has been successfully used as part of complex treatment for several decades. The concept of BC as a systemic disease has made it possible to develop optimal treatment algorithms, including both local methods of disease control, such as surgery and radiation therapy, and systemic drug treatment. The effectiveness of adjuvant systemic therapy in increasing overall and relapse-free survival is not in doubt, however, the optimal timing of initiation of chemotherapy after radical surgical treatment has not been reliably determined to date. Many factors, such as age, comorbidity, type of surgery, and patient compliance with treatment, can delay chemotherapy. We analyzed the largest studies in this area to gain insight into what may cause delays in adjuvant treatment and the long-term consequences of such delays for the patient.

Keywords: chemotherapy delay, overall survival, adjuvant chemotherapy, breast cancer