In 2002, Lippincott published the Manual of Breast Diseases, edited by Professor Ismail Jatoi. The current book, Management of Breast Diseases, is an adaptation of that manual, with Professor Manfred Kaufmann of the Goethe-University of Frankfurt serving as co-editor. Most of the chapters from the original manual have been either extensively revised or discarded, and several new chapters added. This text contains more material than the original manual, but it is still intended as a basic guide for the wide spectrum of clinicians (surgeons, gynecologists, oncologists, radiation onco- gists, internists, general practitioners) who treat breast diseases, both benign and malignant. To compile this text, we assembled experts from throughout the world. Thus, this text provides not only a broad overview of breast diseases, but also highlights diff- ent perspectives from different parts of the world. Yet, it is worth noting that the management of breast cancer is now largely predicated on evidence-based medicine. Several large, randomized prospective trials have demonstrated the ef? cacy of breast cancer screening and chemoprevention. Other large trials have addressed the impact of systemic therapy, radiotherapy, and variations in local therapy on breast cancer mortality. Many of these landmark trials are discussed in this text, and they clearly have had a bene? cial effect. Indeed, since about 1990, breast cancer mortality rates have declined substantially in most industrialized countries, and this trend is expected to continue in the years ahead.
