With the demonstration that adjuvant chemotherapy reduces the death rate from breast cancer by roughly one quarter across all risk groups, controversy has reigned regarding possible exclusions from therapy. T1a and T1b N0 tumors (1-cm diameter and smaller with negative axillary nodes) have been considered at low risk for metastasis since the report from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of a 90% survival rate at 10 years. Subsequent reports have suggested an even more favorable prognosis for this group