OBJECTIVETo investigate the pathological manifestation of the lesion as well as the feasibility of conservative breast surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy of patients with locally advanced breast cancer.

METHODSClinic data of the 46 patients treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy effectively and surgical procedures from June 2003 to August 2007 were analyzed. All the patients were female, aged from 28 to 65 years old with a mean of 46.3 years old. The diameter of neoplasm was 7 to 13 cm. All the patients had been treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy effectively and received modified radical mastectomy or Halsted radical mastectomy. The specimen slices were cut from 6 different directions taking the residual cancerous lesion as the center.

RESULTSNineteen patients (41.3%) were concentrating contracted, with complete remission in 6 patients (31.6%) and residual focus in peripheral zone in 13 patients (68.4%). Twenty-seven patients (58.7%) responded in a sifter-like pattern.

CONCLUSIONFor most patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy effectively, their pathologic features are not up to the conservative breast surgery criterion, conservative breast surgery should be cautiously considered.