Primary treatment for breast cancer

Abstract

Adequate local-regional treatment of patients with primary operable breast cancer involves controlling multicentric disease in the breast, and axillary dissection to stage the disease and control it in the axilla, when present. Two options, showing equal survival rates in prospective, randomized studies, are breast preservation and mastectomy. In breast preservation, adequate tumor excision with clear histologic margins and axillary dissection is followed by breast irradiation. The mastectomy option involves no radiation therapy and can be followed by reconstruction. Careful selection of patients and detailed description of the pros and cons of each approach should be undertaken on an individual basis.