Breast diseases are increasingly occupying a major area in medical practice. Among them, breast cancer, one of the most frequent life-threatening health problems in the world, deserves special attention and co-operation of multiple medical disciplines. Another landmark of this disease is that the treatment strategies vary largely not only among clinics, but also among countries, despite numerous international consensus conferences. At this point, any source of information that incorporates current generally accepted concepts will serve. I think, as a useful guide for practitioners who cope with this disease.
The main motivation that let us prepare this book was to provide a compact, updated, all-in-ono overview of breast diseases for residents and students, who sometimes seem confused with the abundant information coming from different sources frequently conflicting with each other. Students of Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty in English language are also considered among the target audience.
Regarding the position of the editor, surgical point of view may appear to be slightly dominant in this book. Surgery still remains as the gold standard and stands for the main primary treatment modality for curable breast cancers. Nevertheless, a strong multidisciplinary collaboration is new an obligation, rather than an option. Regular, well-documented pre- and postoperative meetings with active participation of medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists and pathologists are of crucial importance in an effort to offer the best medical care to breast cancer patients. Training of the nurses and other medical staff should constitute another component of this effort. Psychosocial support is also essential.
The vast majority of contributing authors are relatively young specialists (including the editor) who practice in university hospitals in Turkey and the U.S.A. Not only the universally accepted current practice, but personal experiences of the authors are also reflected in the chapters. In addition lo the surgical staff, all of the contnbuting authors are doctors practicing mainly breast-related medicine r the - specialization field. Moreover, several chapters were prepared with the «tic contnbutions of our residents with special interest in breast surgery. As stated in a chapter of this book, ihere have been studies concluding that “the patients of clinicians who have special interest in breast cancer, or who treat high numbers of patients had bettor survival rales".
Ertugrul Gazıoglu, M.D.
Istanbul: May 24.2006

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