The rate of breast-conserving surgery in early breast cancer: An audit of surgical practice at St Vincent’s campus, NSW in 1990 and 1994.

SUMMARY An audit was undertaken to document the use of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in the management of early breast cancer (EBC) at St Vincent’s campus during two time periods, the calendar years 1990 and 1994. The medical records of all women diagnosed with a new primary breast cancer at St Vincent’s Public and Private Hospitals initially treated during 1990 and 1994 were reviewed to document patient, tumour and treatment characteristics. Comparisons were made with data on BCS in EBC from the Australian medical literature. A total of 228 patients was managed with a definitive surgical procedure in the years 1990 and 1994. There were no major differences in the manner of presentation, the tumour subtypes or the treatment techniques between the two years. There was an apparent increase in the number of tumours < 2 cm managed in 1994 but no major difference in the use of BCS. The BCS rates for the two years were 33 and 36%, respectively. There were wide variations in the rate of BCS between surgeons, and for the same surgeon, between the two calendar years. These data from a major teaching hospital serving a largely non-mammographically screened population would suggest that BCS rates for EBC are lower than expected. The data on BCS rates for EBC in Australia are limited and the optimal rate of BCS in current practice is unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]