Breast‐conserving treatment for breast cancer in stockholm, sweden, 1977 to 1981

Since 1977 patients living in Stockholm with Stage I breast cancer fulfilling specific criteria are offered breast‐conserving treatment. The treatment includes a partial mastectomy and a low‐axillary dissection followed by radiotherapy, 5000 rad, to the remaining breast. Between 1977 and 1981, 262 patients underwent the breast conserving therapy. One hundred eighty‐six patients had pathologic Stage I tumors. Radiotherapy was given to 158 of those patients. During the follow‐up time (6 months to 5 years), 4 of 186 patients had recurrence to the breast. Two of those had not received radiotherapy. Recurrent tumor in regional lymph nodes occurred in 4/186, and distant metastases in 10/186 patients. Six patients have died of their disease. The cosmetic results were favorable overall, but often impaired when surgical complications occurred. A comparison between these results and those obtained in similar patients treated with modified radical mastectomy showed no significant differences in rate of local, regional, or distant recurrence. In selected patients a partial mastectomy with a low‐axillar dissection followed by radiotherapy to the remaining breast seems to be an alternative treatment to modified radical mastectomy. Longer follow‐up time is needed before final conclusions can be drawn. Cancer 53:1253‐1255, 1984.