Commentary

Patterns of care studies have demonstrated significant variation in the use of lumpectomy. Various factors have been attributed to this observation including physician bias towards mastectomy. Many academic-based breast surgeons have breast conservation rates in excess of 80%, and both Miami meeting attendees and faculty believe that women clearly prefer breast conservation.

Outpatient breast cancer surgery has received a mixed reception in community practice. About half of surgeons attending the Miami meeting have performed an outpatient mastectomy, and about two-thirds of attendees have performed outpatient axillary dissection. Skin-sparing surgery is now widely accepted as a cosmetically superior procedure with broad indications; however, about one-quarter of surgeons attending the Miami meeting do not perform this procedure.

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