More women with breast cancer opt to remove healthy breast.
A rising number of women are choosing to remove a healthy breast after being diagnosed with breast cancer -- even though there is little evidence that doing so improves survival, a new study found.
The research, which appears in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, examined data from 6,275 New York state women, who had prophylactic mastectomies -- removal of a non-cancerous breast as a preventive measure.
Researchers looked at women who had a healthy breast removed after the discovery of cancer in the other breast as well as woman without cancer who had both breasts removed, but had a strong family history of the disease or a gene making them more susceptible to it.
From 1995 to 2005, the number of women who had cancer in one breast and choose to have the other breast removed more than doubled. Those with no personal history of breast cancer who had both breasts removed also increased, but slightly.
While the number of these kinds of mastectomies remains small, they're rising and such surgery comes with risks. Other studies reveal increases in overal mastectomies, raising concerns that some women are being treated too aggressively and whether doctors are doing the right thing for patients.
"For some women, their quality of life is better with their breasts removed because you get rid of the concern, the anxiety" about recurrence, said Dr. Lisa Jacobs, a surgical oncologist with the Johns Hopkins Breast Center. "A lot of women come in and say, `I don't ever want to do this again.'"
Comments
Having worked in health care for 17 years I can guarantee the origins of this action are blood sucking physicians who are nothing more than car salesmen in white coats - the more they sell, the more they make.
The exact same rationale is used for the tremendous increase in c-sections. Less time for the Doc who in addition can schedule months in advance and because it's "surgery" he/she can charge twice as much all under the guise of safety.
BS - scum bag theives 95%+ of them.
Posted by: robt | September 28, 2009 5:49 PM
As an oncology nurse and two time breast cancer survivor, it is a natural reaction for a woman to give consideration to bilateral mastectomies with reconstruction. Reasons are:
1. fear that she will be diagnosed again and strongly desiring to not have to worry about that occuring.
2. seeking breast symmetry
3. if having tram flap or diep flap reconstruction, the plastic surgeon can only harvest the tummy fat once. two breasts can be build at the same time, however any tummy fat not used cannot be saved in case she is diagnosed again.
4. desiring to never need to go to mammography annually again.
5. being comfortable with her womanhood and recognizing that it is not tied up in her breasts. Her health is her priority and she is still just as much a woman as ever with 2 breast, 1 breast, no breasts, or 2 rebuilt breasts.
We should never underestimate piece of mind. And yes,I am a 2 time survivor. I have undergone 2 mastectomies because I did fall into the 5% of women who end up with a new primary in the other breast. Had I had a crystal ball to have told me that when I was originally diagnosed, i too would have done bilateral mastectomies at the time of my original diagnosis 17 years ago.
We need to support women in their decision, by ensuring they have all the facts and are not making the decision based on inaccurate information. Once they make that decision, support them in carrying out their wishes. Fear of recurrence is the greatest worry that a breast cancer survivor lives with.
Lillie Shockney, RN., BS., MAS
Administrative Director,
Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center
Posted by: Lillie Shockney | October 1, 2009 10:36 PM