[Recent trends in breast cancer surgery in Japan]

In the past ten years, extended or conventional radical mastectomies have decreased, being replaced by modified radical mastectomies (muscle-preserving mastectomies) such as Auchinoloss' operation and Patey's operation. Furthermore, limited surgeries for early cases such as partial mastectomy, lumpectomy etc. also have increased in the recent three years. The indications for these operations, the surgical techniques, postoperative functional and cosmetic problems were presented. And future problems as to partial mastectomy were also discussed. In contrast, aggressive surgery such as extensive resection of the chest wall for locally advanced breast cancer is useful as one of the therapeutic measures in the recent multidisciplinary treatments for breast cancer, in order to prolong the patient's survival and improve the quality of life. The techniques including the reconstruction using musculocutaneous flaps were also presented.