Oncoplastic Surgery: Where Are We Now?

In the 1970s, we learned breast conservation therapy (BCT) was not inferior to mastectomy. Early BCT methods could result in deformities that were unacceptable to patients and to their surgeons. By the 1990s, surgeons began to apply the principles of plastic surgery to improve outcomes. The term oncoplastic surgery was first described in the 1990s by Werner Audretsch. We offer a review of principles, techniques, current controversies, and challenges in broadening the utilization of OPS.