Asian Society of Mastology: ASOMA guide on Locally Advanced Breast Carcinoma

Asian Society of Mastology (ASOMA) is a multidisciplinary multinational group of experts engaged in the education and research on various afflictions of mammary gland. It includes surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, pathologist, radiologists, plastic surgeons and breast care support groups. ASOMA has published several ‘ASOMA Guides’ on important aspects of breast care suitable for patients in Asia and Africa. The present ASOMA guide on locally advanced breast cancer deals with the initial workup and management of patients presenting with advanced breast cancer. On initial presentation, we can only state the diagnosis as ‘Advanced breast cancer’, i.e. T3, T4, N2 and N3 M?, if no distant metastases are evident on clinical examination. Once histological diagnosis is ascertained and results of ‘metastatic work-up’ are ready, we can make a final diagnosis of either locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), if no metastasis is detected, or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) if distant spread to the lungs, liver, brain and bones is picked up.