LONG-TERM COSMETIC OUTCOME AND TOXICITY IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH QUADRANTECTOMY AND RADIATION-THERAPY FOR EARLY-STAGE BREAST-CANCER

Breast conservation treatment followed, if useful, by adjuvant therapy is the treatment of choice in early breast cancer. Late cosmetic outc ome and toxicity are important in comparing conservative treatment to mastectomy. We reviewed the records of 225 patients treated from 1981 to 1988 with a median follow-up of 74 months (range 12-156 months). Co smetic results, either reported by the physician (82.4%) or by the pat ients themselves (81.5%), were generally excellent or good, and tended to decline with time (69 and 75.5%, respectively). Toxicity was mild with arm edema (14.6%) being the most frequent symptom. No severe toxi cities were observed. We conclude that overall cosmesis has been accep table in this series and that a low rate of long-term toxicity can be expected with this conservative approach.