Methods: We undertook comprehensive search using Ovid Medline from 1946 till May 2021 to identify complete papers published in English, primarily comparing the clinical outcomes of BCS and mastectomy using keywords such as “mastectomy”,“breast conserving surgery” to name a few. Particular emphasis was given to data from randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses looking at the safety of breast conserving treatment. The oncological characteristics and results from key studies identified are analysed and summarised in this review.

Conclusions: BCS in conjunction with radiotherapy in appropriately selected cases gives results comparable to mastectomy for overall survival and relapse free survival. Current data suggest that in both node negative and node positive patients, breast conservation therapy (BCT) is a safe option with higher levels of favourable patient related outcomes.