Introduction: Good longterm outcomes of complex therapy in operable breast cancer can be achieved mainly due to early diagnosis of the tumor, adequate radicality of surgery and adequate oncotherapy. The following outcome criteria are considered significant: long-term survival rate in complete remission, a number of locoregional recurrences and a number of reoperations or mastectomies required by results of final histological examination, patient satisfaction with a cosmetic result of their breast- saving surgery. Comparison of complex treatment results collected from patients who underwent breast-saving procedures performed for breast cancer at our department of surgery with data reported in literature.
Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of data collected from 106 female patients suffering from invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ operated at our surgery department from 1998 until mid-2002. The sample included nine patients who underwent surgery after neoadjuvant oncotherapy. The median follow-up time after surgery was 10 years and 7 months. Reresection was indicated based on the following criteria, set up by the authors: outline margin of less than 1 mm in invasive tumors, and in cases of ductal carcinomas in situ and carcinomatous lymphangiopathy their presence directly within the resection line.
Results: The patient group included 13 (12.3%) patients with early reoperations. During the follow up period, locoregional recurrence was recorded in 3 (2.8%) patients. A total of 12 (11.3%) patients with generalized breast carcinoma died, their median survival was 6 years and 4 months. A total of 90 (84.9%) patients are surviving with complete remission of the disease. Thecosmetic outcome was evaluated by patients according to a five-point scale. Out of the total of 77 surviving patients who underwent breast-saving procedures, the authors personally contacted 52 subjects (67.5 %). Out of the total, 45 (86.5 %) subjects evaluated the cosmetic outcome as excellent or very good.
Conclusion: The survival rate with complete remission and satisfactory cosmetic results is considered to be comparable with the data presented in literature. Considering a small number of early reresections or mastectomis and locoregional recurrences our clinic achieved good outcomes.