Women at high risk of breast cancer may have an additional preventative alternative to having their breasts removed - breast reduction surgery, according to research published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Although the complete removal of a woman's breasts can diminish the chance of developing this potentially fatal disease, most women find it extremely difficult to elect to remove their breasts. Women may now have an additional preventative option, based on this report, to have their breasts reduced rather than removed.
"Breast reduction is a risk reducer, not a preventative guarantee," said Leroy Young, author of the study and chair of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Emerging Trends Committee. "For the majority of women with a high inherited susceptibility to breast cancer, completely removing their breasts is not a desirable option as primary prevention. This study strongly indicates that women can choose to have their breasts reduced instead, thus decreasing their chance of developing breast cancer."
The report is based on six observational studies conducted in the United States, Canada, Denmark and Sweden. It found that breast reduction lowered the chance of developing breast cancer 50 to 70 percent.
"It's important that women understand their options. Having breast reduction surgery is better than what many high-risk women have done in the past because they did not want to lose their breasts - nothing," said Dr. Young. "Educating women about breast reduction, which is often more acceptable than prophylactic mastectomy, could increase the number of women who elect risk-reduction surgery as a preventative measure, which could lead to an overall reduction in breast cancer mortality rates among high-risk women."
"While this report is based on observational studies, it's pretty clear that breast reduction could hold a key to decreasing breast cancer in high-risk patients. Undoubtedly, as we reduce the amount of breast tissue, we also reduce the risk of developing breast cancer," continued Dr. Young. "Going forward, we expect clinical studies will support our findings that breast reduction is a viable preventative alternative for many women."
