Advances in the management of carcinoma of the breast

It is clear from this review that, although we may still be a long way from the eventual cure of carcinoma of the breast, we have advanced from the days of a unified approach to the disease by standard local radical treatment. Of great importance is the understanding that one person (the surgeon) can no longer treat the disease alone, but that he or she should be a member of a multi-disciplinary team in which surgical skills make a unique and significant contribution. We are fortunate in Edinburgh to have such a team, and I am grateful to my colleagues for their cooperation and help.