Which treatment is designed to be performed before surgery to resect a tumor?

Neoadjuvant therapy is specifically designed to be administered prior to surgical intervention aimed at resecting a tumor. The primary goal of neoadjuvant therapy is to decrease the size of the tumor or to control its growth, making it more operable or allowing for a less extensive surgery. This approach can enable better surgical outcomes and improve the chances of complete tumor removal.

By utilizing neoadjuvant treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiation therapy, clinicians can assess the tumor's response to the initial treatment, which may aid in deciding on the most effective surgical strategy. This can also ensure that any micrometastatic disease, which is not visible at the time of surgery, is addressed before the surgical procedure.

In contrast, adjuvant therapy occurs after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Radiation therapy may be used as either neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment, depending on the situation, but it is not exclusively designed for pre-surgical use. Hormonal therapy is typically used for hormone-sensitive cancers but does not specifically relate to timing in relation to surgery in the same way that neoadjuvant therapy does. Thus, neoadjuvant therapy is the most accurate choice