Multicentricity of breast carcinoma: a case against partial mastectomy

One hundred and seventy-three mastectomies for carcinoma of the breast during a two-year period were reviewed for multicentric foci in the pathologic specimen. There was a total of 38 cases of multicentric carcinoma, comprising 22%. Sixty-two percent of all carcinomas presented as clinical Stage A and B, of these, 21% were multicentric. It is our opinion that except for certain extenuating circumstances, the procedure of choice for carcinoma of the breast is either a modified or standard radical mastectomy.