More Women Opting for Double Mastectomies

According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, more women with early-stage breast cancer are choosing to have double mastectomies instead of having just one breast removed. In fact, between 1998 and 2005, the rate of double mastectomy in women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) increased by 188 percent, with 13.5 percent of women in a 2005 study opting to have both breasts removed. According to the Mayo Clinic, DCIS is an early form of cancer where abnormal cells multiply and form a growth within a milk duct of the breast. For women with DCIS, the 10-year survival rate is between 98 and 99 percent. The removal of the healthy breast in addition to the affected breast does not improve a woman’s chances of survival, however, many women are still choosing to have both breasts removed. Although the study’s lead researcher Dr. Todd Tuttle, chief of surgical oncology and associate professor of surgery at the University of Minnesota, has doubts about these double mastectomies, it is possible for more aggressive or untreated DCIS to spread and develop in the healthy breast. Still, most cases of DCIS are highly treatable.

For the study, Tuttle and his team evaluated information on 51,030 women using the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. All of the women involved in the study had all been diagnosed with DCIS in one breast sometime between 1988 and 2005. Tuttle and his colleagues found that 2,072 of the more than 51,000 women opted for breast removal surgery to treat their DCIS. Tuttle suggested several reasons why more women are choosing to have both breasts removed, including the fact that there is more public awareness of the genetics of breast cancer. In addition, Tuttle noted that fewer invasive mastectomy procedures and improved breast reconstruction techniques may influence more women to have both breasts removed during one surgery. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 186,467 women were diagnosed and 41,116 women died from breast cancer in 2005. Breast cancer treatment is most effective when the cancer is caught early on. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosis or treatment of breast cancer, our cancer malpractice attorneys can help. Call or submit and instant inquiry today and our Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice attorneys will evaluate your case at no cost to you. Your initial consultation is FREE and there is NO FEE to you unless we recover money.

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