Among women who had both lumpectomy and radiation, the frequency of second tumors was relatively constant at 4 and 8 year follow-up. The risk for IBT is less when comedo necrosis is slight or absent. Indeed, some patients whose DCIS lack comedo necrosis may not need local breast irradiation. Three hundred and three were treated by lumpectomy only and 320 who also received subsequent external beam radiation. The patients represented a subset of patients previously analyzed in the authors' study of 814 women from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project Protocol B-17.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second most deadly.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 175,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and 43,300 will die from the disease in 1999. Early detection of breast cancer increases survival and treatment options. The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms, annual clinical exams and monthly breast self-examination for women age 40 and older.