What is the difference between neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment?

The difference is timing. Neoadjuvant treatment is given before the main treatment, and adjuvant treatment is given after it.

For example, chemotherapy given before surgery or radiation to make a tumor smaller is neoadjuvant treatment. Chemotherapy given after surgery or radiation to destroy cancer cells that may remain is adjuvant treatment.

Both are examples of how cancer treatments are combined to work together. The goal is to improve the chances that the cancer is treated fully — shrinking a tumor first can make the main treatment easier, and treating afterward can clean up cells that might be left behind.

Whether you have neoadjuvant treatment, adjuvant treatment, or both depends on your type of cancer and how advanced it is. Your care team can explain how timing fits into your plan.