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The results of clinical trials for early cancer of the breast were assessed in terms of survival, morbidity, and the rate of local recurrance. Simple mastectomy appeared to be the operation of choice because survival following this procedure was equal to that following more radical operations, but the morbidity was less. Partial mastectomy was found to be an unsatisfactory method of treatment. Simple mastectomy should be combined with removal of the lower axillary nodes to allow accurate staging of the disease. Postoperative radiotherapy did not influence survival, but did increase morbidity. It may be best to restrict its use to the treatment of local recurrance. Improvement in survival figures may be seen by use of adjuvant chemotherapy, or by more widespread use of screening programmes.