The development of myocutaneous flaps and other reconstructive procedures has made it possible to offer surgical palliation to many patients with advanced local recurrence of breast cancer who previously would have been regarded as untreatable. We present the results of excision of such recurrences in 42 patients treated from 1982 to 1986 after non-surgical measures had failed. Good palliation was achieved in all of the patients with acceptable morbidity. There was one death. Further local recurrences developed in 12 (29 per cent) patients, though none was painful or offensive. Thirteen patients remain alive and free from local disease; 17 patients remained free from local disease until they died.