Lumpectomy as good as mastectomy for tumours up to 5 cm

In women with breast cancers up to 5 cm across the rates of long term survival and metastasis-free survival are similar for mastectomy and breast conserving treatment, according to a new study.

Previous studies have shown both approaches to be similar for women with tumours equal to or less than 2 cm across, for which breast conserving treatment is widely used. But this is the first study to show equally good long term results even when the width of a tumour is as …