Surgical techniques in breast cancer

Surgery is the best treatment for most women with breast cancer. Surgical treatment for breast cancer has undergone major changes over the last 30 years; there has been a major shift from radical surgery to breast-conserving surgery, with no harmful effects on survival. Oncoplastic techniques have resulted in better cosmetic results in patients having breast-conserving surgery. Some women will not be suitable for breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy is indicated; for these women, there has been an improvement in the techniques of breast reconstruction. The staging of the axilla, which guides adjuvant treatment, has been associated with significant morbidity; the introduction of sentinel node biopsy has resulted in a minimally invasive surgical staging procedure that accurately stages the axilla with minimal morbidity.