Controversy in cancer of the breast

Cancer of the breast is a capricious disease. Until we know the etiology and can accurately appraise its extent we cannot give accurate prognosis and our therapy is often palliative. There are still controversies over the incidence and whether any true change has been made in mortality from the disease. The place of xeromammography in detecting cancer of the breast is still unsettled. When there are so many unknowns it is not remarkable that the best treatment is so controversial. Each form of therapy has advantages and disadvantages; at present we are unable to predict with accuracy which patient will benefit most from which regimen. We need adequate numbers of patients in properly controlled studies to draw conclusions from reports on the course and therapy of such a variable disease.