HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hayward, J Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Hayward, J

By the early 1960s there was ample evidence that ovarian ablation could affect the progress of advanced breast cancer. Although this was based only on retrospective studies, confirmation by randomised clinical trial would have been both superfluous and unethical. The same could not be said of the use of ovarian ablation as an adjuvant after the primary treatment of breast tumours. There was little doubt that the natural cessation of rhythmical ovarian function could delay the appearance of metastases in those patients whose disease recurred after mastectomy but the concept of inducing an ovarian ablation as a prophylactic manoeuvre had not been convincingly studied. The Manchester trial (Cole 1968), carried out in the early 1950s, compared the effect of prophylactic ovarian irradiation on patients after primary treatment of breast cancer with the experience of a second randomly selected group who received no such treatment. There was evidence that the appearance