Following news that Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie underwent double mastectomy after discovering that she has elevated risks for breast cancer, more women are apparently too eager to undergo the same surgical procedure.
Researchers who conducted a study on women who were diagnosed with breast cancer, however, warn of the increasing prevalence of double mastectomy, which entails the removal of both breasts, as many women who undergo the procedure do not apparently need it.
For the study "Social and Clinical Determinants of Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy" published in the journal JAMA Surgery on May 21, Sarah Hawley, from the University of Michigan, and colleagues, studied 1,447 women who were diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. Of these subjects, the researchers found that 8 percent have undergone contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), or double mastectomy, and 18 percent have considered going through the procedure.
The researchers found that more than half of the women who had both of their breasts removed did not meet the medically approved criteria to go through the procedure. Women who have increased risks of developing breast cancer including those with mutations in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes and those with family history of breast or ovarian cancer may benefit from double mastectomy as this could reduce their risks of contracting the disease. Of the women in the study who had double mastectomy, the researchers found that 70 percent are least likely to develop breast cancer in their healthy breast.
Hawley said that for these women, double mastectomy isn't necessary, as removing the non-affected breast will not reduce the odds of cancer recurring in the affected breast. She said that it would not be a good idea for women who do not have a family history of breast cancer or a genetic mutation to have their healthy breast removed.
The researchers have likewise found that only 10 percent of the participants diagnosed with breast cancer had a family history of the disease and genetic mutations and these are those who are at high risk of developing cancer in their unaffected breast. Most of the women who have chosen to have both of their breasts removed were candidates for breast-conserving surgery that only require removal of lumps.
"Many women considered CPM and a substantial number received it, although few had a clinically significant risk of contralateral breast cancer," Hawley and her colleagues wrote. "Worry about recurrence appeared to drive decisions for CPM although the procedure has not been shown to reduce recurrence risk."
