The gynecologist's role in the treatment of breast carcinoma

The treatment of early carcinoma of the breast remains contraversial. One hundred eleven cases of stage I and II carcinoma of the breast treated from January 1985 to November 1988 were reviewed. Given an informed choice, 13 of the 30 patients (43.3%) treated by the author chose breast conservation over mastectomy, in striking contrast to a 97.5% incidence of mastectomy in the 81 patients treated by the general surgeons on the hospital staff. The role of the gynecologist in the treatment of breast cancer can be to offer a different viewpoint and thus possibly to become a major force in the reduction in the number of mastectomies.