[Diagnostic problems in local recurrence after breast saving therapy of breast cancer]

From 1970 to 1987, 331 breast cancer patients of the Department of Gynaecology of the University of Erlangen were treated by conservative breast surgery. Adjuvant radiotherapy of the remaining breast was applied to only one-third of the patients. 30 patients (9.8%) had a local recurrence. This study analyses the 21 patients with local recurrence after breast conserving therapy, treated afterwards again in our hospital. 60% of the recurrences occurred within 2 years after the primary treatment. In 18 cases, the recurrences were located in the vicinity of the segmental resection area, in 3 cases the recurrences were diagnosed as new second primaries in the ipsilateral breast. 19 of the 21 recurrences were diagnosed by palpation, 2 cases were detected by mammography examination only. The palpable recurrences could only be shown in the mammography in 14 cases. We conclude, that for patients with breast conserving therapy, a mammographic examination need not be increased in frequency, but a quarterly examination by palpation should be extended over more than 2 years.