[Changing trends in breast surgery over a five year period (1998-2002)--a retrospective analysis]

Today's development in breast cancer surgery are characterized by the principle of the smallest necessary intervention in contrast with the radicality of the past. To achieve this goal the primary and crucial task is the recognition of early (stage I or II) breast cancer. The National Screening Program started 2002 provides ideal conditions. The authors present a five year (1998-2002) retrospective analysis of breast preserving surgery: over the period 861 operations were performed on breast cancer patients with an average of 46.5% of them with breast conservation. Complications after unnecessary axillary lymph node dissection occurred with a high incidence rate (60%); the authors suggest sentinel node identification and detection performed to avoid these complications. In the "early years" (1998-2001) only 15 preoperative wire-loop markings were performed in patients with non-palpable malignant lesions, whereas from 2002--owing to the National Screening Program--68 such interventions were carried out providing the immense importance of nationwide screening.