Comparing Radical Mastectomy with Quadrantectomy, Axillary Dissection, and Radiotherapy in Patients with Small Cancers of the Breast

Umberto Veronesi , Roberto Saccozzi , Marcella Del Vecchio , Umberto Veronesi , Roberto Saccozzi , Marcella Del Vecchio , Alberto Banfi , Claudio Clemente , Mario De Lena , Giuseppe Gallus , Marco Greco , Alberto Luini , Ettore Marubini , Giuseppe Muscolino , Franco Rilke , B Salvadori , Annamaria Zecchini , R Zucali
1981 New England Journal of Medicine 1,597 citations

Abstract

From 1973 to 1980, we carried out a controlled study at the National Cancer Institute in Milan to consider the value of a conservative procedure in patients with breast cancer of small size. We randomized 701 patients with breast cancer measuring less than 2 cm in diameter and with no palpable axillary lymph nodes to Halsted radical mastectomy or to "quadrantectomy" with axillary dissection and radiotherapy to the ipsilateral residual breast tissue. We treated 349 patients with Halsted mastectomy and 352 with quadrantectomy. The two groups were comparable in age distribution, size and site of primary tumor, menopausal status, and frequency of axillary metastases. There were three local recurrences in the Halsted group and one in the quadrantectomy group. Actuarial curves showed no difference between the two groups in disease-free or overall survival. From these results, mastectomy appears to involve unnecessary mutilation in patients with breast cancer of less than 2 cm and no palpable axillary nodes.

Keywords

QuadrantectomyMedicineBreast cancerMastectomyRadiation therapyAxillary DissectionModified Radical MastectomyAxillary lymph nodesSurgeryAxillaCancerInternal medicine

MeSH Terms

AgedAntineoplastic AgentsAxillaBreast NeoplasmsClinical Trials as TopicDrug TherapyCombinationFemaleHumansLymph Node ExcisionLymphatic MetastasisMastectomyMiddle AgedNeoplasm MetastasisNeoplasm RecurrenceLocalRandom Allocation

Affiliated Institutions

Related Publications

Publication Info

Year
1981
Type
article
Volume
305
Issue
1
Pages
6-11
Citations
1597
Access
Closed

External Links

Download PDF (Free) View on DOI.org PubMed Semantic Scholar

Social Impact

Altmetric
PlumX Metrics

Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions

Citation Metrics

1597
OpenAlex
9
Influential
1193
CrossRef

Cite This

Umberto Veronesi, Roberto Saccozzi, Marcella Del Vecchio et al. (1981). Comparing Radical Mastectomy with Quadrantectomy, Axillary Dissection, and Radiotherapy in Patients with Small Cancers of the Breast. New England Journal of Medicine , 305 (1) , 6-11. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm198107023050102

Identifiers

DOI
10.1056/nejm198107023050102
PMID
7015141

Data Quality

Data completeness: 81%