Seven-year follow-up on 334 patients treated by breast conserving surgery and short course radical postoperative radiotherapy: a report of the Yorkshire Breast Cancer Group.

A total of 334 patients have been entered into a prospective protocol of breast conserving treatment, which consisted of clinically complete excision, axillary dissection, and radical postoperative radiotherapy given in 20 fractions over 4 weeks. After 7 years' follow-up, 22 patients (6.6%) have had an isolated local recurrence and 24 (7.2%) a local recurrence associated with metastic disease. Cosmetic assessment shows that patients are more satisfied with the result than their treating consultants, and that 81% have scored themselves as having an excellent or very good result more than 5 years after treatment.