Minneapolis, MN (AHN) - The number of women in the United States opting to have double mastectomies following certain breast cancer diagnoses increased almost 200 percent between the late 1990s and 2005, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Todd Tuttle, the lead researcher in the study, and a cancer surgeon, said many of these surgeries are often unneeded because survival rates in women treated for ductal carcinoma in situ - or early-stage breast cancer -- is very high.
The 10-year survival rate for women with DCIS is 98 to 99 percent," Tuttle said in a statement. "Therefore, removal of the normal contralateral breast will not improve the excellent survival rates of this group of women. Nevertheless, many women, particularly young women, are choosing to have both breasts removed."
DCIS cancer is described by Tuttle as the earliest form of breast cancer, when it is confined within a duct area of the breast. It is very treatable with "breast-conserving" surgery, radiation or hormone treatment, Tuttle said.
Tuttle told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that many women choosing double mastectomies do so for cosmetic reasons. But he said reconstructive surgery can be riskier and require more recovery time than having a lumpectomy, which can usu
0 comments:
Post a Comment