The document summarizes key landmark breast cancer surgery trials. The NSABP B-04 trial from 1971-1974 showed that radical mastectomy provided no survival benefit over total mastectomy for node-negative or node-positive breast cancer. The NSABP B-06 trial from 1976-1984 established breast-conserving therapy with lumpectomy and radiation as an equivalent option to mastectomy. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B 9343 trial from 1994-1999 showed that radiation could be omitted in selected older patients receiving lumpectomy and tamoxifen. The NSABP B-32 and ACOSOG Z0011 trials established sentinel lymph node biopsy as sufficient for staging clinically node-negative breast cancer.