Conserving surgery - balance between good cosmetic aspect and local disease control in incipient breast cancer

New acquisitions in the study of breast cancer, based on several retrospective and prospective studies, have led over the past decades to the possibility of applying conserving methods of treatment for breast cancer (breast conserving therapy -BCT) in incipient stages. Starting with 1996, a single surgical team, among others at the Bucharest Oncology Institute,performed BCT in 497 patients out of the total 2,256 cases of breast cancer treated. Work protocol consisted of tumour excision with safety margins, intraoperative histology exam,samples from all the walls of the remaining cavity, with intraoperative histology exam, axillary lymphadenectomy, followed by mandatory irradiation of the entire breast, associated or not with systemic or hormonal adjuvant treatment. 38 patients developed local disease recurrences, 14 of which in the first 5 years. In this paper we present the results obtained through BCT, as a means of supporting this type of treatment adequate for patients with initial stage breast cancer, with cosmetic results visibly superior to those of mastectomy.