Quadrantectomy is not a disfiguring operation for small breast cancer

An objective evaluation of the cosmetic outcome after conservative treatment for breast cancer was applied on 136 patients treated with quadrantectomy, axillary dissection and radiotherapy. Differences in the symmetry between the operated and non-operated breasts were calculated and expressed by an ‘asymmetry index’. This value represented a parameter of the asymmetry between the two breasts. The ‘asymmetry index’ reflected the qualitative judgment expressed by the observer and the patient's self-assessment. These combined systems of evaluation proved quadrantectomy to have satisfactory cosmetic results despite the large amount of tissue removed by this procedure.