Objective: To review the evolution of the current surgical treatment for breast malignant tumors over the past twenty years in the First Hospital of Jilin University (the former Bethune University of Medical Sciences). Methods: 1195 eligible patients with primary breast malignant tumor diagnosed and surgically treated at the First Teaching Hospital from January 1980 and December 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The peak frequency was in 40-49 years of age (40.00%), the age of the patients with breast malignant tumors trends to become young. The most common pTNM classification was Stage Ⅱ. The most common histological type was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (398 patients, 33.31%), and simple carcinoma (279 patients, 23.53%). Modified radical mastectomy was the most common operation procedure performed (779 patients, 65.19%), and was increasingly used while radical mastectomy was adopted decreasingly in recent decade. Conclusion: The variation of operation procedures performed on patients with breast malignant tumors reflected the advance of our understanding of the biology of cancer and the progression of new treatment principles. Objective: To review the evolution of the current surgical treatment for breast malignant tumors over the past twenty years in the First Hospital of Jilin University (the former Bethune University of Medical Sciences). Methods: 1195 eligible patients with primary breast malignant tumor diagnosed and surgically treated at the First Teaching Hospital from January 1980 and December 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The peak frequency was in 40-49 years of age (40.00%), the age of the patients with breast malignant tumors trends to become young. The most Common pTNM classification was Stage Ⅱ. The most common histological type was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (398 patients, 33.31%), and simple carcinoma (279 patients, 23.53%). Modified radical mastectomy was the most common operation procedure performed (779 patients, 65.19 %), and was increasingly used while radical mastectomy was adopted decreasingly in recent decade. Conclusion: The variation of operation procedures pe rformed on patients with breast malignant tumors reflected the advance of our understanding of the biology of cancer and the progression of new treatment principles.