Having a double mastectomy won't improve survival in women with cancer in only one breast, but many women choose the more invasive surgery anyway. What can explain the decision?
Susan Derwin saw a call coming in. She had turned 60 that day, but this would not be a celebratory message. . Derwin was told the scan had picked up something in her left breast, and she would need to come back in for more tests.On a Monday evening about 2 weeks later, Derwin received a call from her doctor confirming she had cancer in her left breast. The next day she met her breast surgeon.
It can be hard to understand why a patient would want more surgery if it's not necessary to treat the cancer, said Seema Ahsan Khan, MD, professor of breast surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. But"I do think we really underestimate the burden of screening" and other issues, she said.
Explaining to patients that, even with a lower risk for contralateral breast cancer, a double mastectomy doesn't ultimately improve survival is key to laying out the pros and cons, said Puneet Singh, MD, assistant professor of breast surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Becky Barber, 65, says"scanxiety" was top of mind when she opted for a double mastectomy about 2 years ago. Her cancer had come back in the same breast, following a lumpectomy and radiation more than 20 years ago. "A single mastectomy would've been an option," said Barber, who lives near Raleigh, North Carolina.
"I think the decision is going to come down to, if mammograms can't tell me if I have cancer, then am I going for an MRI every year?" Brown said."How expensive is that? Will insurance pay for it?" But Derwin's test results were delayed, which meant she'd have to make a choice about her surgery before knowing her"I've definitely had patients who've expressed similar preferences and values," Singh said.
Malignant Breast Neoplasm Breast Carcinoma Aesthetic Medicine Facial Rejuvenation Breast Mammary Gland Cancer Malignant Neoplasia Carcinoma Malignant Neoplasm Mastectomy Breast Surgery Breast Mastopexy Breast Lift Breast Reconstruction Breast Prosthesis Reconstruction Of The Breast Bilateral Mastectomy
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