| Abstrakt: |
There are no absolute and invariable rules for the treatment of any form of carcinoma in an individual. The general physical state, the psychological stability, and the social circumstances may all modify the accepted treatment for a particular form of malignancy, and what follows concerning the indications and contraindications for mastectomy in stage III carcinoma of the breast is written in the knowledge that there are circumstances under which the advice given must be modified or even disregarded.It is necessary first to consider what we are talking about when we speak of a stage III carcinoma of the breast. First, we are here concerned with clinical staging, as distinct from the more accurate pathologic staging which can only be achieved by hindsight in the light of the histologist's report and which is not, therefore, available when decisions about treatment have to be made. Second, clinical staging is bedeviled by |
