Breast cancer: pros and cons of conservative vs aggressive management.

Cancer of the breast is the leading type of cancer in women in the United States (28 percent), and the leading cause of death from cancer in women (20 percent). More than half of the cases of breast cancer can be anticipated to exhibit recurrent disease. Most deaths occur within five years of discovery. There has been a minimum reduction in the mortality rate in the past 35 years. This failure is due to microemboli that spread via both the lymphatic and vascular systems in the early predetection state of the primary lesion. In Stage I and Stage II disease, modified radical mastectomy is the treatment of choice. In Stage III disease, radical mastectomy gives a higher incidence of local control of the disease without an increased chance of survival. Adjuvant chemotherapy offers a definite improvement in survival rates.