Conservative treatments in breast cancer: An update from the European Institute of Oncology

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is a major killer. Progress in treating the disease has been spectacular in recent decades and mortality is now declining in Western countries. This article describes the development of conservative surgical treatments for breast cancer and indicates future directions. Since they respect the integrity of the woman's body, conservative treatments have encouraged women to participate en masse in screening programs, plausibly resulting in earlier disease detection and greater curability. © 2008 Future Medicine Ltd.