[Results of locoregional therapeutics for mammary epithelioma]

A review of 5-year and 10-year follow-up results of locoregional treatments for breast epithelioma has lead to the following conclusions: 1) Results have hardly improved during the past 30 years, and the overall 5-year survival rate of mammary epithelioma is 45 to 50 per cent. 2) In cases carcinologically amenable to surgery, results are not affected by surgical or even conservative therapeutical procedures: 5-year survival: 75 per cent for stage I, and 67 per cent for pooled stages I and II; 10-year survival: 55 per cent for stage I, and 46 per cent for pooled stages I and II. The authors have analyzed only gross results, an index that is not necessarily the best or the most satisfactory to assess the value of a treatment. Undoubtedly, other factors besides yearly survival should be included in the estimation of results, such as percentage of locoregional recurrences, cosmetic quality, morbidity and complications related to the various techniques. Because of this stability in results, therapeutical indications of mammary epithelioma should be re-assessed under a different angle and should take into account new criteria.