[Breast saving cancer surgery. Results of a long-term study (Berlin study, 1963-1982)]

Between 1963 and 1982, 1,139 patients underwent surgery for unilateral mammary malignoma at the Charlottenburg Gynaecological Clinic of the Free University Berlin. Primary therapy consisted of simple mastectomy in 948 cases and tumourectomy/quadrantectomy with subsequent radiotherapy (40 Gy) in 191 cases. We performed a retrospective analysis of "matched samples" of tumourectomy/quadrantectomy and mastectomy. The observation period of both groups spans a minimum of one year to a maximum of 20 years after primary operation. In pT1- and pT2-tumours the overall survival after tumourectomy/quadrantectomy at 5, 10 and 15 years was no worse than after total breast removal. The results of our long-term follow-up study lead us to conclude that tumourectomy/quadrantectomy and breast irradiation are suitable for primary treatment of mammary cancer.