Book excerpt: The information surveyed in this volulme is designed to provide the clinician with an expert overview of the current state of the art in breast cancer management. It should provide at least a flavor of the major paradigm shift that is occurring in this rapidly evolving field. Breast cancer management is moving away from a "kill or cure" model and advancing toward a model focused on strategies of prevention and of long-term management of breast cancer as a chronic disease. The acceptance of this new paradigm by patients and clinicians alike will represent a major focus for the twenty-first century.