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Richard D. Corley, MD
Peoria, Ill

JAMA. 1994;272(15):1167.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—In a recent Editorial, Dr Baue¹ supported other authors and advocated breast-conservation operations and radiation therapy, "if the patient wishes this to be done." Neither in his Editorial nor in the references cited was there any mention of long-term adverse effects, complications, and increased morbidity and mortality from radiation therapy to the breast.

Breast cancer has a long natural history. One should not compare mortality of treatment based on the first 5 years following treatment. In trials employing radical mastectomy with or without irradiation, Cuzick et al² found a significant excess of deaths after 10 years among patients given radiotherapy. Friedman³ concluded from studying pathological tissues from 100 women who received radiation therapy that carcinoma of the breast cannot be considered a radiosensitive tumor. Yet radiation therapy must accompany breast-conservation operations.

Modern radiotherapy for carcinoma of the breast irradiates a segment of the left . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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