neoadjuvant
adjective
neo·ad·ju·vant
ˌnē-ō-ˈa-jə-vənt 
medical
: of, relating to, or being treatment (such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy) administered before primary cancer treatment (such as surgery) to enhance the outcome of primary treatment
In certain breast cancer, neoadjuvant therapies reduce recurrences by 50 percent in some situations.—
Jen Waters
Jen WatersThe use of preoperative (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy before resection of the primary pulmonary tumor is controversial, and data are lacking to guide clinicians.—Michael Lanuti et al.
compare adjuvant entry 1 sense 2
Michael Lanuti et al.Examples of neoadjuvant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In addition to different surgical techniques, neoadjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy is now being used more often.
—Marla Anderson, Verywell Health, 8 July 2025
Once that initial treatment—known as neoadjuvant or pre-operative treatment—is done, surgery is then performed for people healthy enough to undergo it.
—Sayaka Blickenderfer, Phd, Health, 18 Sep. 2024
First would be eight rounds of neoadjuvant chemotherapy over about four months, before surgical extraction of the tumor.
—Paige Stables, Allure, 22 Nov. 2023
When used with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, lobectomy is associated with a 33% five-year survival rate in people with stage 3a lung cancer.
—Lynne Eldridge, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2023
The trial showed that adding durvalumab before surgery and durvalumab plus chemotherapy after surgery cut the risk of disease recurrence or progression by 32% compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus placebo after about a year.
—Angus Chen Reprints, STAT, 20 Apr. 2023
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Marla Anderson, Verywell Health, 8 July 2025
Once that initial treatment—known as neoadjuvant or pre-operative treatment—is done, surgery is then performed for people healthy enough to undergo it.
—Sayaka Blickenderfer, Phd, Health, 18 Sep. 2024
First would be eight rounds of neoadjuvant chemotherapy over about four months, before surgical extraction of the tumor.
—Paige Stables, Allure, 22 Nov. 2023
When used with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, lobectomy is associated with a 33% five-year survival rate in people with stage 3a lung cancer.
—Lynne Eldridge, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2023
The trial showed that adding durvalumab before surgery and durvalumab plus chemotherapy after surgery cut the risk of disease recurrence or progression by 32% compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus placebo after about a year.
—Angus Chen Reprints, STAT, 20 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Neoadjuvant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neoadjuvant. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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