Mastectomy - Indications

Indications

Despite the increased ability to offer breast-conservation techniques to patients with breast cancer, there exist certain groups who may be better served by traditional mastectomy procedures including:

  • women who have already had radiation therapy to the affected breast
  • women with 2 or more areas of cancer in the same breast that are too far apart to be removed through 1 surgical incision, while keeping the appearance of the breast satisfactory
  • women whose initial lumpectomy along with (one or more) re-excisions has not completely removed the cancer
  • women with certain serious connective tissue diseases such as scleroderma, which make them especially sensitive to the side effects of radiation therapy
  • pregnant women who would require radiation while still pregnant (risking harm to the child)
  • women with a tumor larger than 5 cm (2 inches) that doesn't shrink very much with neoadjuvant chemotherapy
  • women with a cancer that is large relative to her breast size
  • women who have tested positive for a deleterious mutation on the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene and opt for prophylactic removal of the breasts
  • male breast cancer patients

Read more about this topic:  Mastectomy

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