POST CHEMOTHERAPY (PRE-SURGERY)

INTRODUCTION 

High grade tumors larger than 5 cm may be treated with pre-operative chemotherapy. Certain protocols include pre- and post operative adjuvant radiotherapy. Following chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy the tumor may be unchanged in size with no new 'necrotic' areas visualized on MR imaging, unchanged in size with new 'necrosis' secondary to therapy, decreased in size due to tumor response, increased in size due to lack of response or increased in size secondary to hemorrhage and cystic change within tumor secondary to the therapy.