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 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.