[Ablative versus conservative treatment of breast cancer]

In the past 20 years, the opinion about the biology, the growth, the generalization and, therefore, the treatment of breast cancer has totally changed. Several big international multicenter and randomised therapy studies over many years have proved that breast conserving therapy, performed under certain conditions, has the same results in survival as an ablative therapy. Following these results, it is necessary to inform patients who fulfill the conditions about the possibility of a breast conserving therapy about the principles and rules of this kind of operative treatment. Therefore, strong efforts should be made in early detection of breast cancer. On the other hand, breast cancer is regarded as a general disease which should be treated also with general medication, in addition to local treatment and according to the tumor biology.