Salvage surgery for local recurrence after breast cancer conservative mangement: lumpectomy or mastectomy

ABSTRACT

A cohort of 85 patients with intra-breast tumor recurrences [IBTR] were assigned to either wide local resection [LR] [n=25] or salvage mastectomy [SM] [n=60] using specified criteria of selection during the period 1988-1998. The mean tumor size for LR group was smaller than SM group [1.6 vs. 2.8 cm]. Nevertheless, the two groups were comparable regards other prognostic factors, like relapse-free interval, tumor location relative to the previous resection scar, method of diagnosis and tumor multiplicity. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to 13 patients post LR and 31 cases post SM. Wide local resection can be considered in selected patients with IBTR as a salvage treatment because the type of surgery did not seem to affect survival. It should be used for late recurrences [>2 years] and noninvasive relapses