[Partial mastectomy in the treatment of breast cancer]

In the submitted paper the authors summarize findings on conservative surgery in the treatment of breast cancer. Based on data in the literature and their own experience with surgical treatment of breast cancer of all stages and a detailed analysis of a group of 52 conservatively treated patients, the authors discuss indications for this treatment which must respect staging, typing and grading of tumours as well as attitudes of patients. In particular in tumours classified as T1, NO, MO (as well as T2, NO, MO up to 3 cm) with a non-central localization it is possible by using conservative surgery to avoid somatic mutilation and psychic sequelae of radical procedures. When an individual approach is used and the correct indication is selected, partial mastectomy with dissection of the axilla and postoperative radiotherapy is equivalent to therapeutic results of radical operation.