No abstract

Quoting one of the great masters in breast reconstruction, Scott L Spear, "the primary mission of a physician is to help his or her patients; the higher mission of a medical textbook is to help other physicians help even more patients". With this target in mind, this book has been devised to collect some recent data on a worldwide health problem. Breast cancer constitutes a notable problem in women's health and therefore a burdensome weight for society. Attempts to widen the knowledge on this disease, either at its preclinical (genetics) or clinical phase (diagnosis, treatment) are always welcome since they may lead to a decrease in the suffering (pain, physical dysfunctions, disfiguration, depression and so on) and a lengthening in survival of the patients. Authors have been busy to provide valuable information in these areas, so it is my hope that this book contributes in part to the mission expressed above.