Many women who develop a tumor in one breast are opting for double mastectomy Now, a new study finds that treatment decision produced no benefit in terms of long-term breast cancer survival, however Still, the exact reasons behind that finding remain a puzzle FRIDAY, July 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast, even in the early stages, sometimes opt for a double mastectomy, due to the fear that the cancer will migrate to the other breast. But that decision may not offer any real benefit in terms of survival, an exhaustive new study of more than 600,000 patients tracked for two decades has found. Canadian researchers report that while having an unaffected breast removed did lower the odds of cancer appearing in that area, that did not translate to any change in the patient's odds of death from breast cancer.
"Prevention of contralateral [other breast] cancer through preemptive surgery did not appear to reduce the risk of death in the 20-year period," concluded a team led by Dr. Steven Narod , of Women's College Hospital in Toronto. He's also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Toronto.
His team published its findings July 25 in the journal JAMA Oncology . As the researchers noted, rates of bilateral (both breasts) mastectomy have been increasing among women with cancers detected in just one breast for years. "This despite consensus guidelines discouraging the procedure in women of average risk," they add.