Clinicopathologic factors and patient perceptions associated with surgical breast-conserving treatment

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Abstract
Background: Clinical studies have shown equivalent survival rates between breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy in early breast cancer; however, rates for BCS remain low. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the prevalence of BCS in a regional medical center, (b) clinicopathologic factors associated with BCS, and (c) patient perceptions of the treatment decision-making process. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 251 consecutive breast cancer cases during January 1990–December 1991; 77 patients were ineligible for BCS because of unfavorable pathology. We then interviewed 118 of the 160 women available for interview. Results: BCS was performed in 31 of the eligible patients (18%). Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size Conclusion: Limiting BCS to women whose tumor size is <10 mm is too restrictive; this excludes a large number of women who are clinically eligible for BCS. The surgical decision-making process for early-stage breast cancer is very much surgeon-driven, with a high degree of patient compliance.