The natural history of breast cancer

Authors
Citation
I. Jatoi, The natural history of breast cancer, SURG CL NA, 79(5), 1999, pp. 949
Citations number
61
Categorie Soggetti
Surgery,"Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
Journal title
SURGICAL CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA
ISSN journal
00396109 → ACNP
Volume
79
Issue
5
Year of publication
1999
Database
ISI
SICI code
0039-6109(199910)79:5<949:TNHOBC>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
The natural history of breast cancer is a contentious issue. Some authors a rgue that it is a systemic disease and that local therapy does not affect m ortality. Others maintain that it is a local disease at inception and that locoregional therapy does reduce mortality. There are, of course, no random ized, prospective trials comparing local therapy to no treatment. Thus, the true effect of local therapy on breast cancer mortality remains open to sp eculation. Nonetheless, there are trials that have examined the effect of s creening or permutations in local therapy on mortality. This article discus ses some of these trials and their relevance to the natural history of brea st cancer.