The Value of the Preventative Mastectomy

Receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer changes a woman's life forever. No matter how early the cancer is caught, breast cancer brings a sense of uncertainty into a woman's life that will never completely go away. Even if aggressive treatment ultimately sends the cancer into remission, the fear that the cancer might some day come back is likely to become a pervasive presence in the life of a breast cancer survivor.

One of the ways that oncologists treat breast cancer is by performing a mastectomy, which involves the complete removal of a breast that has been compromised by breast cancer. Despite the emotional and physical toll that is exacted by undergoing such a radical procedure, mastectomies do sometimes bring a peace of mind to women who worry that other types of treatment may not be enough to truly eliminate all of the cancer. In fact, that sense of relief is so strong that some women choose to take things one step further and have both breasts removed, even though only one has been infected by cancer. Because breast cancer can eventually develop in a healthy breast even after it has been successfully treated in the other, these preventative mastectomies are a way that some women choose to maximize their sense of safety and relief.

But are preventative mastectomies really a wise or necessary strategy in the battle against breast cancer? According to a recently published exhaustive research study, the answer to that question is no.

Preventative Mastectomies on Trial
In 2010, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of a study carried out at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. This study looked at the case histories of 107,000 women who had undergone mastectomies, a number that included 8,900 women who had chosen to have both of their breasts removed to help reduce the chances of their cancer returning. Preventative mastectomies have become increasingly popular over the past several years; between 1998 and 2003 alone, double mastectomies in the US increased by 150%, and about 11% of the mastectomies that are now performed involve the removal of non-cancerous breasts. Because preventative mastectomies have become so common, researchers have naturally been interested in finding out if their widespread use is really justified, and that was the motivation for the study carried out at the Anderson Cancer Center.

The Anderson study focused primarily on the question of lifespan. Specifically, they wanted to find out if preventative mastectomies actually helped breast cancer victims live longer. As it turns out, this procedure is able to extend life span - but surprisingly, only in certain cases, and even then the positive effects are only modest.