title: Breast conservation or mastectomy in breast cancer: factors affecting the choice of operation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the surgical treatment of breast cancer, breast conservation is considered preferable to mastectomy provided that certain prerequisites are fulfilled. This retrospective analysis reports those factors which affected the choice between operations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1993, a total of 104 women were operated on for breast cancer or carcinoma in situ in the Department of Surgery, University Central Hospital of Turku. There was a palpable tumour in 75%. In 23% the disease was found at mammography screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Breast conservation was achieved in 24%. The proportion was about the same whether the disease was found at screening or clinically (27% and 23%). In the presence of a palpable tumour breast conservation tended to succeed slightly more often than in wire-guided operations (26% versus 19%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nylamo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hurme
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lahti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015409:Mastectomy, Radical; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome