Beauty and the beast--a medical essay

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and the incidence of the cancer is on the rise. However, public education and screening have permitted the detection of this disease at an early stage. This early presentation has open opportunities for physicians to offer therapeutic options tailored both to the individual's disease process and the patient's desires. There is an increased responsibility on the doctor (s) to view an individual's breast cancer as a subset of the disease, for which one or more treatment modalities may be combined. The combination is designed to deliver the best cure rates with the least risk of acute complications and late morbidity. This paper outlines the pathological determinants of breast cancer and their impact on the behavior of the disease. Algorithms are presented to view and manage the patient's overall disease process. The subtleties in the medical literature on the management and clinical results of breast cancer are discussed.