age between 40 and 75 years.

clinical, mammographic or ultrasonographic diagnosis of a unicentric carcinoma with an ultrasonographic diameter of equal or less than 2.0 cm.

although not a factor of exclusion, a breast scintigraphy using mdp-99m is recommended for accurate determination of possible multifocality or multicentricity of the tumor, as well as for the determination of possible bone metastasis.

axillary lymph nodes that cannot be palpated or that are not clinically suspicious for metastasis.

no previously executed therapy (including biopsy) at any outside institution.

those patients with nonpalpable lesions will be subjected to preoperative radioactive occult lesion localization (roll) or stereotactic biopsy.

adequate patient information and signature of the informed consent.

lesions diagnosed as non-infiltrating (in-situ) ductal or lobular carcinoma.

paget's disease.

documented multicentricity and/or abundant multifocality of the neoplasm.

clinically metastatic lymph nodes.

patients previously biopsied at other institutions.

carcinomas detected during pregnancy or lactation.

histotypes diverse from breast carcinoma lesions.

history of previous malignancy (excluding basocellular carcinoma, in-situ cervical carcinoma and/or contralateral breast carcinoma without recurrence for at least 15 years of follow-up).