Short term morbidity and cosmesis following lumpectomy and radical radiotherapy for operable breast cancer.

One hundred and eighty-four patients with T0-T2, N0-N1b, M0 breast cancer were treated by local excision and radical radiotherapy. Short-term morbidity and cosmetic assessment are reported after a median follow-up of 21 months. At 1 year 80% of women considered the cosmetic result very good or excellent, whereas only 63% of their consultants gave a similar assessment. Mild or moderate arm oedema developed in 22% of patients, radiation pneumonitis in 9% and oesophagitis in 11%. Mild discomfort in the treated breast was reported by 39% and moderate by 17%. Oedema of the breast was noted in 20%. It is too early to comment on long term disease control or final cosmetic result but to date the morbidity has been considered acceptable and measures to reduce it further are being implemented.