Breast cancer constitutes 32% of all cancers in women, and it would not be unexpected if books devoted to this subject were commonplace. The first book in the United States devoted exclusively to the breast appeared in 1887, and subsequently some 240 more have been published. Recently, several excellent texts have appeared, and one may well ask "Why another?" First, there is always room for excellence, but, more important, the fast-moving field of breast cancer mandates continued updating, which this volume does very well.
In the past two decades, there has been an explosion of information on breast disease with no apparent signs of plateauing. This current effort is large (more than 1000 pages) with 20 sections and 55 chapters covering the subject matter one would expect in a book purporting to be "comprehensive." The first chapter, on historical perspectives, is a welcome addition in an easily readable and informative