TREATMENT OF T1 AND SMALL T2 NODE-NEGATIV E BREAST-CANCER - A REVIEW OF 21 CASES MANAGED AT THE YAOUNDE GENERAL-HOSPITAL

From February 1989 to February 1993, 21 patients with TI or small T2 N -MO breast cancer were treated at the radiotherapy department of the G eneral Hospital in Yaounde. Radiation therapy was preceded by tumorect omy (n=3), quadrantectomy (n=4), or radical mastectomy according to Pa tey (n=14). Patients were given hormone therapy. Chemotherapy was not used, After four years, five patients (23.8%) had lymph node or distan t metastases, This poor result was unexpected since recent data from t he literature suggest that the prognosis is favorable in patients with tumors such as those included in this study, Current histologic and b iologic criteria used to establish the prognosis may fail to consisten tly detect all highly aggressive cancers. A limited review of the lite rature on new criteria based on molecular and genetic findings was con ducted. A fairly satisfactory solution for circumventing the technolog ical problems that limit determination of these new criteria is propos ed.