Cosmetic Outcomes of Breast Cancer Treatment

   Authors: OncoLink Team
   Affiliations: University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center
   Posting Date - January 4, 1996
Copyright © 1994-1997, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

The goal of radiation treatment for early stage breast cancer is to attempt to cure the patient of breast cancer and to achieve the best possible cosmetic outcome for the treated breast. Removal of the primary breast tumor is performed before radiation treatment is delivered to the breast. A number of terms have been used to describe the surgical procedure to remove the primary breast tumor, such as "lumpectomy," "excisional biopsy," or "wide excision."

The cosmetic outcome after lumpectomy and breast radiation is dependent on many factors, such as the size of the breast tumor, the extent of the surgery required, and the response of the patient to radiation treatment. Cosmetic outcome is commonly judged on a 4-point scale of excellent, good, fair, or poor. Satisfactory cosmetic outcome (excellent or good) is seen in 80-90% of treated patients, and 10-20% have an unsatisfactory cosmetic outcome (fair or poor). A number of different factors increase the chance of having an unsatisfactory outcome, such as larger tumor size, increased extent of surgical resection, use of chemotherapy, or large patient size. However, an unsatisfactory outcome can occur in the absence of any risk factors.

Follow the links below to see a range of cosmetic outcomes of breast cancer treatment. Click on each graphic to see a larger version.

Excellent results
Good results
Fair or Poor results

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