purpose: In Korea, the incidence of breast cancer is continuously increasing. Since 2001, breast cancer is the most common cancer in females.(1)
Methods: We analyzed the clinical data of 323 breast cancer patients who were treated in department of surgery at Pusan National University Hospital between January 2001 and December 2002.
Results: A total of 323 patients, 322 patients are female and 1 patient is male. The most common prevalent age was the fifth decades. The most common sign and symptom was a painless palpable mass. The most common tumor location was the left upper outer quadrant. The main preoperative histologic diagnostic methods were core needle biopsy (48.3%) and Fine Needle Aspiration (35.6%). Breast conservation surgeries were performed in 259 cases (80.2%), a modified radical mastectomy in 35 cases (10.9%), a radical mastectomy in 3 cases (0.9%), a simple mastectomy in 3 cases (0.9%) and other procedures in 23 cases (7.1%). According to the TNM staging system, the most common stage was stage IIA (121 cases, 37.4%). The most common pathologic type was invasive ductal carcinoma (273 cases, 84.6%). Axillary lymph node metastasis was present in 109 cases (33.7%). The most common distant metastasis site was the bone (12 cases, 3.7%). The average follow-up period was 22.3 months. 19 cases (5.9%) were recurred between 15 to 28 months after surgery. Their mean disease- free interval was 21.2months. During the follow-up, 4 patients died.
Conclusion: In spite of the short follow-up period, this study shows that breast conservation surgery is a recommendable modality in breast cancer, in terms of recurrence rate, disease free survival, patient´s satisfaction and cosmetics. (Journal of Korean Breast Cancer Society 2004;7:174-179)
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