CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 17, 160-162, Copyright
© 1967 by American Cancer Society
Inadequate Simple Mastectomy
Arthur I. Holleb M.D.1 and
Joseph H. Farrow M.D.2
1 Associate Chief Medical Officer and Associate Attending Surgeon, Breast Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, New York, N.Y.
2 Attending Surgeon and Chief, Breast Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases.
The cited cases prove that breast cancer may develop in remaining breast tissue when an incomplete simple mastectomy has been done. We would like to urge that the term simple mastectomy be deleted from the medical nomenclature and be replaced by "total mastectomy" to emphasize that all breast tissue should be removed whether the operation is being performed for benign or malignant disease.