Simplified Treatment of Cancer of the Breast

Abstract

It is time that we take steps to eliminate the needless morbidity associated with the treatment for breast cancer. Standard radical mastectomy is not indicated unless axillary nodes can be shown to be involved, and even then a modified operation in which the nodes are dissected without removal of the muscles probably will give as good a result, with less morbidity. Regional lymph nodes are important to immunologic resistance, and this “immunity” may be destroyed by either removal or irradiation. A study of patients with clinical stage I cancer has demonstrated that radical mastectomy offers no advantage over simple mastectomy followed by delayed axillary dissection if and when involvement of nodes becomes apparent.