More Women Opt For Double Breast Removal
Double Mastectomies More Common With Cancer
  istock/ftwitty |
More women with an early diagnosis of breast cancer are choosing to have both breasts removed, a cancer surgeon has found.Dr. Todd Tuttle of the University of Minnesota found that the rate of double mastectomy in women with a form of cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ went up 188 percent from 1998 to 2005.In 2005, 13.5 percent of women in a study of 51,000 with DCIS had both breasts removed. Tuttle expressed doubts about that course of treatment."The 10-year survival rate for women with DCIS is 98 to 99 percent," Tuttle said. "Therefore, removal of the normal contralateral breast will not improve the excellent survival rates for this group of women. Nevertheless, many women, particularly young women, are choosing to have both breasts removed."In a previous research study, Tuttle and his colleagues found more American women choosing to have both breasts removed when cancer has been found in only one breast.A news release on the work described DCIS as the earliest stage of breast cancer, when the cancer is small and confined. It is considered highly treatable. However, if the cancer is aggressive in nature or not treated, it can become more serious or develop in the healthy breast.Tuttle and his colleagues used the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to evaluate information about 51,030 women diagnosed with DCIS in one breast between 1988 and 2005. They found that 2,072 (13.5 percent) of the women chose breast removal surgery for their DCIS treatment. Furthermore, between 1998 and 2005 the rate of women opting for the surgery increased by 188 percent.Breast cancer affects more than 214,000 women in the U.S. each year.The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
-
istock/ftwitty
The views expressed are not those of Click2Houston.com, KPRC or its affiliated companies. This is a community moderated forum. (Please note the 'Like' and 'Report' tabs.) By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms of Use.
blog comments powered by Disqus
A man is wanted after he kicked a front door off its hinges and shot a woman, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A 19-year-old is accused of using a stolen gun to shoot a Houston police officer who was trying to stop a burglary, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A man dies nearly two weeks after a masked gunman shot him in the head, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A driver admits to drinking and taking drugs before getting behind the wheel and crashing, police tell KPRC Local 2.
Three men pose as police officers to get a businessman into the car to rob him, police tell KPRC Local 2.
Feb. 9, 2010: A man is accused of using a stolen gun to shoot a Houston police officer who was trying to stop a burglary. Mariza Reyes reports.
Anthony Yanez
February 8, 2010: Charles Barkley joined Randy McIlvoy via satellite to talk about the 2010 NBA All-Star game and the Rockets.
Feb. 9, 2010: Local 2 investigates florists. Are you getting what you paid for? Amy Davis reports.
Feb. 8, 2010: A METRO bus hits a light-rail train in downtown Houston, injuring nine people and knocking the train off the tracks, KPRC Local 2 reports.
Check out our slideshow forecast to find out how long the chilly temperatures will stick around.
A police officer is shot in northwest Houston, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A METRO bus and a light-rail train collide in downtown Houston.
It has been 25 years since the debut of the hit comedy "The Breakfast Club" in theaters. What are the stars of the film up to today?
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
