Morbidity and mortality in breast conservation surgery in early carcinoma breast

To study the mortality and morbidity after breast conservation surgery [BCS] in patients with early breast cancer and comparison with local and international literature. An Interventional descriptive study. Place and Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from Jan 2002 to Dec 2003. Thirty diagnosed cases of early breast cancer in clinical stage I and II were included. Patients with solitary lump with size up to 4 cm in biggest diameter, 5 cm with large sized breasts and patients with lump in one breast were included. Patients with multicentric diseases, lump larger than 4 cm in size in greatest dimension, lump situated beneath areola, lumps fixed to skin or deeper structures were excluded. There were 2 [6.67%]cases of seroma formation and 1 [3.33%] case of wound infection, 8 [26.67%]patients suffered persistent painful shoulder movements and arm pain, 4 [13.33%] patients suffered breast disfigurement. 3 [10%] cases of loco-regional recurrence. 1 [3.33%] patient underwent mastectomy and 2 [6.66%] patients underwent further local excision,. Percentage of ductal carcinoma in post-menopausal women was also high. There was no mortality. Breast conservation surgery is equally effective as mastectomy in the treatment of early breast cancer as there is no statistically significant difference in disease-free survival and overall survival