[Breast conservation surgery with irradiation in breast cancer].

For the treatment of patients with early breast cancer, breast conservation surgery with irradiation is gaining world wide acceptance as opposed to more mutilating operations. In Japan, however, most surgeons and radiation oncologists are still unfamiliar with this technique. To achieve optimum functional and cosmetic results, understanding the philosophy and details of the technique is of primary importance. We propose a method of executing the procedures. Tumor excision with a tumor-free margin and breast irradiation with tangential fields are the essential part of the treatment. The entire breast should not receive more than 50 Gy. Limited axillary dissection is used for deciding the indications for chemotherapy, and it is necessary to obtain more than five nodes. Irradiation to the lymph nodes is optional.