Diagnosis, treatment and even the very concept of cancer as a disease have changed significantly over time. From a single and incurable disease, it is now considered a disease in which many predisposing factors come into play, and which is curable in a high percentage of cases (over 50%) or, if incurable, takes the form of chronic illness.
This monograph looks not only at breast cancer which, despite being the most common and important type affecting women, has gained better prognosis thanks to medical advances, but also at other cancers. Authors also discuss various related issues that are shedding new light on this disease. On the one hand, the environmental factors known to trigger cancer processes and, on the other, heredity’s role in certain malignant tumours. When cancer patients are young, we must consider preserving their fertility as these patients currently have better chances of survival and recovery. This is the ultimate goal, which we strive to achieve in as many cases as possible.
We also discuss the importance of treating the disease using less aggressive surgical techniques, currently being tackled by robotics. Among countless other advantages, these new techniques enable healthcare providers to control the surgical solution with high precision and in three dimensions.
