[The great important of tumor-free margins in the breast-saving procedure]

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that local recurrence after breast-conserving surgery may lead to an increase in distant metastases and disease-specific mortality. The most important factor responsible for recurrence is the margin status after excision. The treatment of patients with breast cancer should be decided upon by a multidisciplinary treatment group so that the candidates for a breast-conserving procedure can be adequately selected with emphasis on achieving maximum local control.